Visitors view sandbox models at the expo of Beijing Candidate City's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic games at the Palace hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland, on June 10, 2015. (Photo: Xinhua/Zhou Lei)
Beijing 2022 has promised to host an "economical" Winter Games, which will benefit both China and the Olympic Movement, if Beijing wins the bid at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) 128th Session on July 31.
Beijing 2022's concepts of hosting an "athlete-centered, sustainable and economical" Games fully comply with the IOC's 40-point reform package, which was approved at the 127th IOC Session last December. And in Beijing's bid presentation made at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne on Tuesday, the IOC members felt about it once again.
Among the 40 resolutions, there are eye-catching ones on reducing the cost of bidding for and hosting the Games.
Beijing 2022 pays high attention to complying with these reforms. IOC President Thomas Bach and former President Jacques Rogge have been impressed by Beijing's plan of keeping the games economical. They also said highly of Beijing's use of 2008 Olympic facilities.
Beijing 2022 has adhered to the principles of being scientific, meticulous, prudent and feasible in the budgeting for the Games as well.
Emphasis will be placed on integrating the Games with regional development strategy, conducting market-based fund raising, improving internal management system, and exercising strict cost control over the Games operations.
Out of the 12 competition and non-competition venues in Beijing Zone, 11 are existing venues left from the 2008 Summer Games. New venues will be built in line with the requirements of the Olympic Winter Games competitions, and temporary facilities and combination of permanent and temporary venues will be used wherever possible.
It's worth mentioning that a high-speed railway line between Beijing and its co-bidder Zhangjiakou is already under construction. This will cut the travel time of the two cities to about 50 minutes from more than three hours via current trains.
The high-speed railway is not built specifically for the Winter Olympics bid, instead, it's a part of China's ambitious blueprint that aims to enormously increase the speed of the country's railway transportation.
The railway construction should also be included in the National Strategy of Integrated and Coordinated Development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region (National Strategy), and the long-term regional development plans, thereby facilitating the bidding and preparation for the Olympic Winter Games, the improvement of urban ecological environments and the close integration of economic development and social advancement.
It's in line with IOC's reform initiatives as the reforms include a call for sustainability in all aspects of the Olympic Games and expect the host city to present a Games that fits their sporting, economic, social and environmental needs.
All in all, an economical Olympic Games will definitely benefit both China's development and evolution of the Olympic Movement.
