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* China has honored its solemn promise to present the world with a streamlined, safe and splendid Games, Xi said.

* The Winter Games have attracted billions of viewers around the world, making it the most watched Winter Games ever, Xi said.

* Beijing 2022 has brought confidence and hope to a world overshadowed by instability, Xi said.

BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) — Hailing the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics as a success that would "once again go down in history," Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called on the country to carry forward the spirit of the Winter Games to gather momentum for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

China has honored its solemn promise to present the world with a streamlined, safe and splendid Games, said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, at a grand gathering to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the Winter Games.

A total of 148 units and 148 individuals were commended at the gathering, held at the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing.

Before the gathering, Xi met with representatives of the awarded, and participated in a group photo.

Li Keqiang presided over the gathering and other Chinese leaders, including Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan, also attended the event.

The facts have proven again that Chinese people not only have the willingness and determination to make contributions to advancing the Olympic movement and promoting solidarity and friendship among peoples across the world, but also have the ability and enthusiasm to make even greater contributions, Xi said.

He also pledged to carry forward the Olympic spirit, ensure the Olympic Games play an important role in promoting peace and development, and offer more Chinese wisdom and Chinese strength to the progress of human civilization.

Dancers stage the performance "Forming a Snowflake" during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at the National Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2022. [Xinhua/Cao Can]

Splendid Games

In his speech, Xi recaptured the golden moments from the two Games and drew pride from the Chinese cultural elements and ideas embodied during the Games, as well as touching performances which he said had "motivated the passion of the Chinese people both at home and abroad to get united and move forward."

Nearly 3,000 athletes from 91 countries and regions participated in the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and nearly 600 from 46 countries and regions came for the Paralympic Winter Games.

According to Xi, the Winter Games have attracted billions of viewers around the world, making it the most watched Winter Games ever.

The splendid Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games have drawn positive feedback from the international community with outstanding performances, he said, before commending the country's best-ever results at the Winter Games.

For the first time, Team China has participated in all the disciplines at the Winter Olympics, bagging nine gold medals and 15 overall, in addition to 18 golds and 61 medals at the Winter Paralympics.

Meanwhile, Xi noted that achievements are based on hard work and victory does not come easily.

With the world still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring the safety of the participants of the two Games was a top priority of the Beijing 2022 organizers.

Thanks to the targeted and effective prevention and control measures, only 0.45 percent of personnel under the closed-loop management tested positive for COVID-19, and they all received effective treatment and were well cared for.

Xi said China's anti-COVID policy has once again withstood the test, adding that hosting the Games contributed useful experience for the world in fighting the virus and hosting major international events.

"As some foreign athletes said, if there were a gold medal for responding to the pandemic, then China would deserve it," he said.

Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders confer awards on representatives of those who have made outstanding contributions to the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games at a gathering held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 8, 2022. [Xinhua/Li Xueren]

Beyond the Games

The success of the Games goes far beyond the field of sports.

Noting that passion for ice and snow activities continues to grow in the world's second largest economy, Xi said that some 346 million Chinese have participated in winter sports activities so far, and that "a new era of ice and snow sports in China and the world at large has unfolded."

According to China's development plan for winter sports, the total scale of the winter sports industry will hit 1 trillion yuan (157.1 billion U.S. dollars) by 2025.

The Chinese president said the Games stimulated development in various areas and had a far-reaching positive impact on economic and social development.

Since the preparations of the Games started, China has built a large amount of high-quality venues and facilities for ice and snow sports. The preparation and hosting of the Games have also promoted the development of social undertakings in a comprehensive way, better securing the human rights of the disabled and enriching the lives of the general public, Xi said.

Hundreds of thousands of facilities have been made barrier-free for the convenience of people with disabilities.

Xi went on to say that the Beijing 2022 Winter Games prompted exchanges between cultures, and played a key role in promoting solidarity, cooperation and joint efforts to overcome difficulties globally.

"It has also brought confidence and hope to a world overshadowed by instability, and sent the world a strong message of our times — Together for a Shared Future," Xi said.

A gathering to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 8, 2022. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei]

Lasting Legacy

Reviewing the extraordinary seven-year process of preparation for and hosting of the Games, Xi said China has harvested abundant intellectual wealth and valuable experience.

He highlighted upholding the Party's centralized, unified leadership, pooling all resources to accomplish major tasks, proactively preventing and addressing risks and challenges, and combining hosting the Games with serving the people and promoting development.

"All the facts have proved that the CPC is the most reliable backbone for China to make great achievements," said Xi.

Xi also summarized the Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic spirit created in the process of bidding, organizing and hosting the Games: bearing in mind the big picture, being confident and open, rising to the challenges, pursuing excellence, and creating a better future together.

Further elaborating on the four aspects, Xi said that the participants in the Games regarded the preparation and hosting of the Games as one of the country's most fundamental interests, and remained confident in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

They showed the sincerity and friendliness of the Chinese people with hospitality and promoted mutual understanding and friendship among different peoples through exchanges, said Xi.

Besides working hard with perseverance, dedication and meticulousness, they also kept themselves future-oriented with a global vision, and called on all people on Earth to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind, according to Xi.

Pledging to make plans proactively and work hard persistently to make the most of the legacy of the Games, Xi called on all Chinese people to carry forward the spirit of the Games, and forge ahead more confidently and more determinedly toward the second centenary goal and toward the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.  

(Source: Xinhua)