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Omikron or not: China and the IOC definitely want to hold the planned winter games from February 4th to 20th.
The Olympic Winter Games will begin in Beijing in a month – and with the number of corona cases rising. Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s address that the country will go to great lengths to bring great games to the world.
SRF China correspondent Martin Aldrovandi explains why the country is sticking to its plan to host the Winter Games despite the Omikron wave by saying that the numbers in China are much lower than in Switzerland, for example. “The authorities here are still following every single case,” he explains.
“And then of course the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing are also a prestige project of the Chinese government, the Communist Party,” says the Swiss who lives in Shanghai. “That’s why everything will be done to ensure that these games are successful.”
Little enthusiasm for winter sports
Compared to the 2008 Summer Games, which also took place in Beijing, the Winter Games are much less important for the population. “You could say that winter sports are still relatively new for many Chinese.” Skiing is now officially being promoted. “But enthusiasm for winter sports and for these games is limited, especially in the south of the country.”
China faces major challenges when it comes to hosting the Winter Games. For fear of the pandemic, they will take place in a kind of bubble. For example, no foreign spectators are admitted to the competitions.
No more connection to the outside world
Since this week, thousands of employees – for example volunteers, cleaning staff, cooks and drivers – are no longer allowed to leave their Olympic circle. The 3,000 or so athletes, coaches, supervisors and media representatives expected in Beijing in the coming weeks will also remain in their bubble from the day they arrive until they leave the country again.
Arrivals must either be fully vaccinated or in quarantine for 21 days after landing. Corona tests are carried out daily within the bubble, and there is a constant mask requirement. The bubble will remain closed at least until the end of March or the beginning of April, i.e. until after the Paralympics (March 4th to 13th).
There is a strict zero covid strategy
The authorities are also proceeding very rigorously in other respects. You can currently see that in the sealed-off city of Xi’an, for example, says Aldrovandi. “People there complained that they didn’t have enough to eat. There were also reports that people were not allowed into the hospitals. ” The goal of zero cases has absolute priority. “You can’t even imagine that in Switzerland.”
Lockdowns, and at the same time they want to welcome foreign countries to these Winter Games for a month: That sounds like a contradiction. “You can definitely see it that way,” says Aldrovandi. “On the other hand, the government also wants to show how well it has everything under control, especially in comparison to other countries.”
In China, many are particularly proud of the fact that they have so few cases. The media also repeatedly showed how the West, especially the USA, was overwhelmed by this pandemic and how well China would cope with all of this. “This narrative style is very popular with a lot of people here.”