Foreign news

Beijing Olympic Progress ‘Great Example of Chinese Dynamism, Determination’

Published

4 years ago

February 4, 2021

Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, has returned to China (virtually) to mark a year before the start of the Beijing Winter Games 2022.

The German former Olympic fencer, who took the reins at the Committee in 2013, said Beijing was making history as the first city to host both the summer (in 2008) and winter Games. But with a year to go before they start, Bach added the Beijing Games would be a fitting return to mass-participation and perhaps crowds after the pandemic.

“Well, first of all, Beijing will write the history … because it will be the first city ever to host both the winter and summer Games. This is already an achievement in itself,” he told CGTN Europe.

“China was giving a great example: on the one hand, successfully fighting against the virus; and on the other hand, realizing that sport and the Olympic Games are part of the solution for the recovery from the pandemic,” Bach added.

The IOC has been under significant pressure since the pandemic struck, with the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games postponed once and questions remaining over whether the event will take place at all.

But Bach said Beijing’s progress is making the IOC’s job easier, as the concerns over preparedness, which often plague an Olympic host city, are non-existent in China.

“I expressed my appreciation and gratefulness to President Xi, and also our great satisfaction with the state of preparations because, again, despite the pandemic, all the venues are ready one year before. I think that’s a great example of Chinese dynamism, determination and efficiency,” he said.

And it’s not just the pre-Games preparation Bach said was showing positive signs.

President Xi Jinping previously set a target of engaging 300 million Chinese citizens in winter sports, with the 2022 Games as a centerpiece.

With “legacy” a huge problem for Olympic organizers, Bach said the progress made towards achieving the 300 million target shows the benefit of the Games to all citizens – not just athletes.

“We see these numbers already on the way to being achieved. We have already crossed by far the 200 million line. So from this Olympic Winter Games and from this vision, not only the Chinese people will greatly benefit, also the global winter sports will greatly benefit,” Bach said.

“This is what is Olympic sport is all about. It’s about passion. So lift your passion … get ready for great Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022,” he added.

Another string to the bow of the Beijing Games is the recycling of 2008 venues.

The Water Cube arena [Beijing National Aquatics Center], which played host to swimming, diving and synchronized swimming at the 2008 summer Games, will be transformed into a curling venue.

“This Olympic Winter Games will be fit for the post-coronavirus world, because there will be a great emphasis on sustainable development,” said Bach.

This will take the shape of a carbon-neutral Games, incorporating “very innovative and environmentally friendly methods of refrigeration in the ice venues,” Bach added.

Finally, Bach noted his good personal and professional relationship with President Xi.

“We have excellent cooperation with President Xi and China in all the Olympic-related measures. We are fully aligned with regard to the mission of the Olympic Games – to be inclusive, to engage with the people and also to consider the Olympic Games to be beyond any kind of political disputes.”

China Media Group, of which CGTN is a part, is official Olympic broadcaster in China and ahead of Lunar New Year and Spring Festival, he wished CMG and Olympic fans a happy year of the Ox.

“We are very happy with this partnership. CCTV and China Media Group are making the Chinese people familiar with Olympic sports and with the Olympic values. So I’m wishing CCTV, China Media Group and all the Olympic fans in China a very happy and prosperous new Chinese year of the Ox.”

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Foreign news

French Envoy Seeks Collaboration With NAN To Boost Seamless Relationship

Published

2 months ago

February 5, 2025

The Gleamer

The new French envoy to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier, on Wednesday called for collaboration with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) toward strengthening the mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries.

Fonbaustier, who is the French ambassador to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, NAN’s Managing Director, in Abuja.
The ambassador said that his purpose of visiting was to pay tribute to the MD, and to seek collaboration in three areas with a view to promoting stronger, seamless and fruitful partnership between both countries.

He added that Nigeria and its people were hospitable, especially to the foreigners and ambassadors alike.

He added that Nigeria was a country with so much energy, strength, stamina and so many talents.

In Nigeria, with the population of this size, it is inevitable that the elites of the country are very outstanding, “and there may be a Franco/Nigeria moments now”, he jokes.

According to him, France and Nigeria can collaborate more and learn from each other.
“I could feel it particularly during the state visit of President Bola Tinubu which took place in November 2024.

“I was there and I could see the intensity, the strength and the scope of the partnership, and I am here to scale up that partnership in all sectors.

“I am coming here for three reasons, first, to pay a tribute to the NAN MD and his team for the quality of this agency. We can testify that the contents that you publish are very factual, and also very well set up and structured.

“You do fact checking and you really do try to provide the community with quality information. I think, as a French ambassador, I can recognise that as part of a living democracy,” he said.

The French ambassador said the second reason for the visit was to intimate the NAN MD of France’s eagerness to go on partnership with NAN saying he hoped for assurance of a seamless, fluid and easy relationship.

He said that his third reason stemmed from his observation that NAN recently signed some partnership framework agreements with Egypt and China, saying “it may be time to think of balancing this partnership with others”.

“Especially with French, and to talk with Agence France-Presse (AFP) to see if there’s ground for a closer relationship between NAN and AFP.

“Which is also a recognised agency like yours, and I bet you the sky will be the limit to the collaboration, ’’he said.

Responding, the NAN MD informed the envoy that the agency was African’s biggest news content provider on account of its size.

Ali gave the envoy a little details of the agency’s operation and its outreach, saying “as our continent’s biggest news content provider, we have offices nationwide and in selected African countries.

“We have offices in countries such as South Africa, Cote d’ivoire, Addis Ababa, and then we have offices also beyond the shores of Africa. We have in New York and we are the only resident wire service in the United Nations.

“At a time in the past, the agency had 11 foreign offices, including Moscow, and presently, we are trying to re-open some of our shut offices, especially in London.
“We value partnership and understanding that we have with similar news organisation such as Reuters and, incidentally, we have a long standing relationship with AFP which you just raised.
“I know for years we have exchange of news between NAN and AFP but it’s a cooperation that we will like to strengthen and with your greater involvement,’’ he said.

The MD commended the ambassador for reaching out and engaging with some Nigerians communities to douse the tension of the allegation made by the Nigeriens.

He also lauded the envoy’s leadership and visibility to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, “which has helped to douse the perception and misconceptions about France, especially in the Sahel”.
“I think you have helped to reverse some of this perceptions. I thank you for the kind words that you said about the agency and about our management.

“We also see partnership as an important tool in checking the spread of fake news.
“We’ve seen instances where fake news has done great deal of damage, and with the coming of social media it has done even greater damage.

“Our country is facing a lot of challenges, one of which is the increasing insecurity, and the social media has been used by those who do not want to see our country to prosper,” Ali said.
He further said that NAN was a credible news agency that always fact check to correct the wrong narratives by those who are in the business of causing troubles.

He also told the envoy that the agency has its content in the Nigerian indigenous languages, starting with Hausa and it would proceed to Yoruba and Igbo languages later, “then later in future to French.

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