BEIJING -?Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Friday lauded the progress of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway construction project, which will be an important transportation link for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Zhang visited building sites to see the construction of railway stations, platforms, waiting rooms and a tunnel, and presided over a symposium on the development of the railway and a highway linking Beijing's Yanqing district and Chongli county of Zhangjiakou city, Hebei Province.

Zhang called for high-quality, efficient construction of all the related Olympics infrastructure.

He reiterated that cultural sites and relics must be protected during construction, and air, water and sand pollution must be controlled.

Last year, Beijing and Zhangjiakou won their co-bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.