Hopes that a successful Asian Winter Games could lead to a Chinese bid for the Olympic equivalent are likely to come true soon.

"China has the ability to host any large sports events," Raja Randhir Singh, Secretary General of Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said after the closing ceremony of the 6th Winter Asian Games in Changchun of Southeast China February 4, 2007.

He Zhenliang, honorary president of the country's Olympic Committee and a key figure in Beijing's successful bid to host the 2008 Summer Games, said in Jilin province last week that the time to bid for the Winter Games would come soon.

"With the accelerating growth of China's economy and people's living standard, China will soon host Winter Olympic," He said.

But He was not upbeat about the successful bidding in the near future. He said there is still a long way ahead for the nation to develop its economy and popularize winter sports among ordinary people before being qualified enough to host Winter Olympic.

The Chinese city of Harbin bid for the 2010 Games but failed to get on the short-list.

Among other improvement to be made, china has to further edge the sports facilities and game competitiveness, according to Wei Jizhong, Chairman of the Sports Committee of OCA and former Secretary General of the Chinese Olympic Committee.

Despite China topping the medal table with their biggest haul of golds in the history of their participation in the Asian Winter Games, the country remains less than a power on the world stage.

"Until the more Chinese athletes capture more gold medals at more winter sports, China will not bid for a Winter Olympics in the near future," twice Olympic bronze medallist and former world champion pairs figure skater Shen Xue told Reuters last week.

Olympic champion short track speed skater Wang Meng, who won two golds in Changchun, had a plan to get involved in the Beijing Games next year despite the absence of snow and ice sports.
"It's certainly a pity we cannot join in the great event," said Wang. "I'd be very happy if I could be a volunteer."

Shen also hoped China's top winter athletes could get involved. "I hope we can do something, like performing at the opening or closing ceremony?" she said.

The next Winter Olympics will be hosted by Vancouver in 2010. Russia's Sochi, Pyeonchang in South Korea and the Austrian city of Salzburg are on the short-list for 2014.