In addition to spurring regional development, Xi has also expressed China's commitment to upholding the Olympic spirit and making the Beijing Games a bridge of solidarity and cooperation.

On the international stage, Xi has often used diplomatic occasions to promote friendship and cooperation between China and other countries and international organizations through sports.

In June 2018, Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin jointly watched a friendly China-Russia youth ice hockey game in Tianjin, near Beijing, and they exchanged team uniforms and took a group photo with the players in the game. He said that China will continue to expand sports exchanges with Russia, especially in ice hockey, to strengthen bilateral ties.

In a telephone conversation with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Sept 7, Xi called on both countries to firmly support each other in respectively hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022 and the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in 2026, and to strengthen their partnership in ice and snow sports and related industries.

With the world still battling challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis, compassion, solidarity and friendship among nations have never been more critical, observers said.

IOC president Thomas Bach has said:"We need this solidarity to be able to address the great challenges of humankind. There is not only the virus but maybe future health challenges. This is about sustainable development in a holistic way."

The United Nations has long recognized the contribution of sport for development and peace and in spreading the acceptance of sport to promote mutual understanding, friendship, non-discrimination, and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

In this context, delivery of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics can again be a beacon of hope, demonstrating the value of unity, resilience and international cooperation in overcoming today's pandemic, said Siddharth Chatterjee, resident coordinator of the United Nations in China.