On January 3, 2022, Consul General Fei Mingxing published a signed article titled "Beijing Ready to Welcome the World to its Winter Olympics" on The Mercury. The full text is as follows:

The Winter Olympics Beijing 2022 takes place in 30 days, between February 4 and 20, followed by the Winter Paralympics from March 4 to 13.

As the world's first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics, Beijing is ready to welcome athletes and delegations from all over the world, including brothers and sisters from South Africa. To offer a streamlined, safe and splendid Olympic Games is China's solemn commitment to the world. Preparations are progressing well, as planned.

Streamlined Winter Olympics

The Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (BOCOG) carries out multiple measures, including streamlining ceremonies, making full use of the 2008 Olympics venues for the Winter Games, and downsizing the venue operation teams, to reduce the cost. With the pandemic still spreading in the world, BOCOG can't invite many people.

Safe Winter Olympics

COVID-19 prevention is the top priority of BOCOG, which hasissued an "epidemic prevention booklet". All Olympics-involved individuals are required to be fully vaccinated. A closed-loop management system will be applied throughout the stay of all athletes, officials and other people associated with the Games.

The Beijing 2022 Playbook will be the guide to ensure a safe and secure Games for participants and the people of China. Professional medical teams and helicopters are ready to provide timely rescue service for competitors in snow sports.

A trans-regional and trans-department security system will work during the Winter Olympics period.

Splendid Winter Olympics

The venues for the Winter Olympics were built with high efficiency and up to high standards. All facilitiesare world-class. Performances of the athletes from all over the world will be spectacular.

There is much more to be expected of the Winter Olympics Beijing 2022 - which will be the first greenest and cleanest Olympic Games. For the first time ever, all venues are 100% powered by green energy, with the ice-making technology adopted producing zero emissions.

Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., the Chairman of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission for Beijing 2022, highly praised China for dedicating enormous attention to sustainability and delivering its promise on holding a carbon-neutral Games.

It will be the most 5G-driven sports event ever. Full coverage of 5G signals has been in place at the National Sliding Centre and the National Alpine Skiing Centre.

Both venuesare set to host the alpine skiing, bobsleigh, skeleton and luge competitions during the Games.5G is being used to achieve rapid temperature measurement, facial recognition and registration with just one scan.

A grand event for highlighting Olympic Spirit

The upcoming Olympics is under the appeal of the Olympic Motto of "Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together," As it sets out in the Olympic Charter, "sports organisations within the Olympic Movement shall apply political neutrality," and the IOC opposes "any political or commercial abuse of sport and athletes." 

For global winter sports athletes and fans, participating in the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games in various forms is a must. In addition, the opening and closing ceremony directed by a globally renowned film director is set to grip audiences across the world.

A grand event of solidarity and friendship

Against the backdrop of surging COVID-19 pandemic, and economical downturn, a successful Olympics will strengthen global solidarity against the virus and demonstrate the Olympic spirit of 'Together.'

As the South African Sports Conferdreation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) President Barry Hendricks said, "Delivering Team South Africa to the Olympics remains our core mandate as an NOC (National Olympic Committee), hence we are focusing on qualifying our athletes for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics."

Welcome to the Winter Olympic Games Beijing 2022!