Winter Olympics 'extremely successful', expert says

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics were "extremely successful", with organizers deserving praise for overcoming difficulties and hosting the gala very competently and showcasing "unity and splendor on an unprecedented scale", said an Australian observer.

Colin Mackerras, a Sinologist and emeritus professor at Griffith University in Australia, said the Olympics showed "China at its most confident, competent in terms of management and technology, and brilliant culturally and economically".

About 2,900 athletes from 91 national and regional Olympic committees participated in the Games, enabling Beijing to be the first city ever to host both summer and winter editions of the Olympics.

Not only has China been successful in implementing its COVID-19 measures during the Games, but also overall, Mackerras said.

"China was very early to use lockdown as a preventive measure, and the policy remains to try and stamp out the disease. This is in contrast to the West," he said.

"Beijing has just held an extremely successful Winter Olympics and strengthened relationships with countries like Russia, Pakistan and Argentina, with heads of state visiting Beijing for the Games."

President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who attended the Games' opening ceremony on Feb 4, had signed numerous economic agreements on behalf of their countries. The long joint statement issued by them after bilateral talks suggest that the friendship between the two sides will continue to grow, Mackerras said.

Meanwhile, the Western powers appear to explore new Cold War approaches, which Mackerras said is "an extraordinarily unwise policy, especially in a world where cooperation is essential against the ongoing pandemic and climate change, among many other issues".

Mackerras also wondered why some US officials had blamed China for giving young Uygur athlete Dinigeer Yilamujiang the job of lighting the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony.

"They are reported to have said it was hypocritical since China was practicing 'genocide' against the Uygurs," he said.

"I think it is ridiculous and also treacherous to suggest China is practicing genocide against the Uygurs," he said.

"The US should be ashamed of (its) open attempt to undermine China's admirable management of the Games."

"My view is that it was fine to give the young Uygur athlete this opportunity," he said, adding that he "loved" seeing all of China's 55 ethnic minority groups represented at the opening ceremony.

Things went on pretty well at the Games, he said, expressing admiration for Beijing to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

Karl Wilson in Sydney contributed to this story.