Foreign news

China Is Ready To Embrace Green, Inclusive, Open, Clean Winter Olympics

Published

3 years ago

January 5, 2022

As the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics is around the corner, China’s preparation for the Games has entered the final stage.

In his New Year address last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the country would spare no effort to present a great Winter Olympics to the world. “The world is turning its eyes to China, and China is ready,” he said.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected preparations for the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on Tuesday, 30 days ahead of the opening ceremony.

He also extended New Year greetings to athletes, coaches, volunteers and representatives of the operation teams, the media and scientific research staff.

The Chinese president has paid great attention to the preparations for the Olympics. Tuesday’s was his fifth inspection visit to Winter Olympic sites, following tours in January and February 2017, February 2019 and January 2021.

Venue construction

During his inspection in February 2019, Xi stressed that venue construction must meet Olympic standards and highlight the characteristics of technology, wisdom, environment and frugality.

On Tuesday, he visited the National Speed Skating Oval, locally known as the “Ice Ribbon,” which is among 12 competition venues and the only one built exclusively for ice competition. It is also an example of how China is delivering its promise of hosting green games.

The site uses carbon dioxide trans-critical direct ice-making technology, resulting almost zero carbon emissions. The waste heat in refrigeration can be further recycled, raising the energy efficiency by 30 to 40 percent.

During his inspection in February 2017, Xi said construction projects for the Winter Olympics should not be extravagant, with their post-Games usage taken into full consideration.

This instruction had been well-considered for the “Ice Ribbon.” Its 12,000-square-meter ice surface will become a playground for speed skating, figure skating, ice hockey and curling enthusiasts after the Games.

Service guarantee

When hosting a symposium on preparation for the Winter Olympics in February 2017, Xi noted operation and service work for the Games should be designed systematically and solidly promoted.

He also encouraged the games organizing committee to actively use modern technology, especially informatization and big data, to improve operation and efficiency.

Xi on Tuesday visited Main Media Center, Athletes’ Village, Games-time Operations Command Center and a winter sports training base, which are sites that are key to service delivery.

The Main Media Center, that covers an area of 211,000 square meters, will be the temporary home and office of some 3,000 journalists from more than 100 countries and regions and 12,000 broadcasters from over 200 networks.

Utilization of intelligent technologies across a wide array of areas makes this media center different from those in the past Olympic Games. Armies of robots will help to provide a wide range of services, working as guides and doing things from those related to COVID-19 prevention and control, to food delivery and food preparation.

The athletes’ village will provide full-time service for athletes, coaches and officials during the Games, 53 days in total, in the three competition zones – Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou.

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Foreign news

California Transport Agency Seeks Partnership With NiDCOM On Creative Arts, Others

Published

1 week ago

December 13, 2024

The Gleamer

California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) on Friday sought the partnership with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) on creative arts, climate change, green jobs, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion and technology industries.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a three-man CalSTA delegation led by its Secretary, Mr Toks Omishakin, said this while paying a courtesy visit to Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM, in Abuja.Omishakin said that CalSTA was one of the global largest agencies that had leading policies around the world in relations to climate change.

He added that for the last 40 to 50 years, the agency had engaged governments around the world to establish policies with better outcomes and impacts for the environment, including climate change.
According to him, Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and for many years, the country has led African continent with her broad economy.

“So, very rarely that California engages countries in Africa, most of our agreements are with countries in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America.

“California does not have any agreement with countries in Africa when it comes to improving green jobs related to climate change .

“This visit is about how we can potentially set up a California-Nigerian partnership that is specifically addressing issues around climate change, green jobs, technology, creative arts and CNG conversion, these are the areas we want to specifically concentrate on.

“For instance, the creative arts industry all around the world, people know the industry that you call Nollywood, and Afro-beats more than ever.

“In addition, when it comes to United States of America’s creative industry like Hollywood, where a lot of film production happens, movies are made, TV shows are filmed just few miles way from Los Angeles.

“But when it comes to music like the Grammys and award shows for musicians across the world, it is held in Los Angeles, in the State of California.“Furthermore, when it comes to music in Africa. Nigeria is the epic centre for both music industry and movie industry and it’s the same thing for California, so there’s potential for partnership”, Omishakin said.

Responding, Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of NiDCOM expressed appreciation for the visit led by Omishakin, a Nigerian-American who made Nigeria and the United States proud.

According to her, Nigerians are the best anywhere in the world and Omishakin is an example of Nigerians who are excelling in different fields all around the world.
“We are glad to welcome you home and we are glad that you’re talking business , and how California will be investing in Africa and Nigeria specifically.

“On your visit, you will see a lot of sectors where there can be more partnership with Nigeria.

“Also, part of your visit and tour, you will be meeting with the Transportation Minister and you will see one of the CNG conversion centres at the SMEDAN office, and also you will see products that are made in Nigeria that can be exported to California.

“Most importantly, we look forward to the partnership, bearing in mind that Nigeria is the biggest on the continent”, NiDCOM boss said.

She expressed optimism that in spite of the challenges facing Nigeria, the country would grow economically under President Bola Tinubu Administration.

The NiDCOM boss, who said that the President’s agenda was to build a one trillion economy, added that Nigerians needed to believe in government and themselves as well.

NAN reports that members of CalSTA delegation, who paid the courtesy visit included Mr Aditya Ramji, a Professor from the University of California, and Mr Giles Giovinazzi, Senior Advisor for CalSTA.

NAN

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