ATHENS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The organization of the forthcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will help promote the world's understanding of Chinese culture, according to Spyros Capralos, Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) President and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member.
As Beijing is set to host the Winter Olympics from February 4 to 20, to be followed by the Paralympic Winter Games, becoming the first city in the Olympic Movement's history to host both Summer and Winter editions of the Olympics, Capralos highlighted the cultural element of the Games in a recent interview with Xinhua.
China has a long history of glorious culture, spanning five thousand years, which is admired and respected worldwide, he said. Visitors can see the aspects of this culture everywhere, from the people's behavior and their hospitable attitude to artistic expression, he added.
"There is no doubt that hosting the Olympic Games will help promote other countries' and peoples' understanding of Chinese culture. Besides, this is one of the main missions of the IOC. The Olympic Games bring people together and promote cultural exchange by removing all barriers of religion, race or language," the official stressed.
Capralos said that the world can learn a lot from China and it is a privilege to have the opportunity to experience Chinese culture and learn different aspects of Chinese civilization during the Olympic Games. ■
