Beijing Winter Olympics to be success story, says Pakistani president

ISLAMABAD - The Beijing Winter Olympic Games will be "very successful" and Pakistan will participate in the splendid sports event with passion and joy, Pakistani President Arif Alvi has said.

The president made the remarks during a recent interview with Chinese media, during which he greatly appreciated the efforts China has made in preparation for the 2022 Winter Olympics scheduled to begin on Feb 4, saying that organizing the event amid the still-raging COVID-19 pandemic "demonstrates China's efficient and successful way of governance that they can do it".

"I must congratulate the Chinese government and the Chinese people for the organization effort for the Winter Games," he added.

Alvi noted that it can be learnt from history that sports and Olympics have the power to increase cooperation between people and unite nations, and the young people who participate in these games could also bring back memories to their own countries from the host country.

Terming politicizing sports unreasonable and upsetting, Alvi said that the attempt to politicize the Beijing Winter Olympics is doomed to fail.

"The world will see a healthy picture of the Olympics," said the president.

Talking about the development of Pakistan-China relations, he said that the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries has been strengthened, and that the bilateral relations have become a model of friendship and mutual understanding between nations in the world.

The president said that in the past year, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, has promoted the economic development of Pakistan, generating a lot of job opportunities for the locals and bolstered Pakistan's poverty alleviation cause through cooperation in fields of health and education.

He noted that as an important part of CPEC, the Gwadar Port has witnessed great development, and Pakistan and China will work jointly to expedite the construction of the Gwadar free zones to tap the potential of the port as a regional trade and logistics hub.

"I think that the Gwadar Port will increase the chances of peace throughout the region," Alvi said.

In the new phase of high-quality development of the CPEC, the two countries should strengthen cooperation in information technology (IT), cybersecurity, agriculture and health, said the president, adding that the Pakistani side is looking forward to training IT talents and promoting the development of the semiconductor industry with China's help.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding in 2021. The Pakistani president, during the interview, once again expressed his congratulations on the anniversary of the CPC.

The historic resolution adopted during the sixth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee summarized the major achievements and historical experience of the party over the past century, the president added.

The CPC has led the Chinese people to make remarkable achievements including national independence, and the people's liberation and poverty alleviation during the past century has been a source of inspiration for people across the world, he said.

During the interview, the president also sent his greetings on the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year and wished the 20th National Congress of the CPC scheduled to be held this year success.