Beijing Winter Olympics: Promoting common prosperity now and in the future

CGTN | 11-Feb-2022 | Alexander Ayertey Odonkor

Editor’s note: Alexander Ayertey Odonkor is an economic consultant, chartered financial analyst and chartered economist with an in-depth understanding of the economic landscape of countries in Asia and Africa. The article reflects the author’s opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

After an eye-catching and light-hearted opening ceremony on February 4, 2022, the Chinese team won its first gold medal at the Beijing Winter Olympics the following day. By emerging as the winner in the short track speed skating mixed relay, China became the first country to win a medal in this new Olympic event – this is an outstanding achievement and a significant addition to China’s incredible milestones in the history of the Olympics.

Certainly, China is not a newcomer to adding luster to the Games. By hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics, Beijing has made history as the only city in the world to organize both events. Tactfully, China has succeeded in using this major sporting event, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, to promote unity, peace and common prosperity – contributing significantly in addressing global challenges now and in the future. While the opening ceremony for the Beijing Winter Olympics has sent a strong message of togetherness, in response to the devouring impact of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, the top-notch, smarter and sustainable infrastructure built for the Games, which have generated tremendous social, economic and environmental rewards, have also signaled hope for the entire world.

With countries around the world, both developed and developing, struggling to attain the climate target and the sustainable development goals amidst the ravaging impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has once again seized an opportunity to inspire the world at a time when all hope seems lost – against all odds, China is successfully hosting the Winter Olympics. In fact, China’s unique approach in organizing the Games is consistent with the official motto of the Beijing Winter Olympics “Together for a Shared Future,” which embodies the core values of the Olympic movement together with the Global Goals of promoting unity, peace and a shared prosperity, now and in the future.

So how has China used the Beijing Winter Olympics to promote unity, peace and common prosperity? Well, the answer to this question is evident in China’s development strategy. With an effective people-centered development approach, the Chinese government has thrived in using the preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics as a catalyst to stimulate interest in the Winter Games which has in turn increased the number of participants for winter sports in the country – bringing together people from diverse cultures and promoting peace and unity. This achievement has been realized because in preparation for the Winter Olympics, China has implemented germane measures and constructed high-quality infrastructure which have collectively contributed to accelerate sustainable solutions, mitigate inequality, create new job opportunities, protect the environment, foster inclusive economic growth and eradicate poverty in the country.

According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as at the beginning of 2021, the country had 803 ski resorts, an increase of 41 percent over 2015, when Beijing was elected as host for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Together with other key actions such as including winter sports, Olympic and Paralympic education in the curriculum of 2,897 primary and secondary schools across the country, these pertinent measures, designed to promote inclusivity have contributed considerably in engaging over 346 million people (close to a quarter of China’s entire population) with winter sports and boosted the growth of China’s winter tourism from 270 billion yuan in 2017 to 386 billion yuan in 2019, representing an increase of 43 percent. For the 2020-2021 season alone, income generated from the ice and snow tourism is more than 390 billion yuan. With this revenue only representing a slice of the pie, China’s unique preparation for the Winter Olympics has brought increased social, environmental and economic benefits, particularly to residents of the three competition zones; Beijing, Yanqing District and Zhangjiakou. For example, in Yanqing, the preparations for the Winter Olympics increased the district’s disposable income per capita by 35.2 percent between 2015 and 2019.

With winter sports now adding up to the list of sporting events, culture and other entertainment activities that attract tourists to the area, Yanqing is well positioned to experience growth in social and economic rewards. In 2019, more than 17 million tourists visited Yanqing, representing an increase of 6 percent over 2018 which raked in a revenue of more than 1 billion yuan, creating decent jobs and supporting economic growth in the area.

Similarly, hard infrastructure such as roads, electricity, water supply facilities, railway and transport hubs, which have been upgraded for the Winter Olympics, have contributed immensely in lifting all 12 impoverished counties and districts in Zhangjiakou, including 939,000 people in 1,970 villages from poverty.  Again, to ensure that the environment is not sacrificed for economic gains, all venues for the Beijing Winter Olympics are powered by renewable energy, for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games. China has achieved this feat by building the Zhangbei flexible direct current grid project, the world’s first flexible direct current (DC) grid project, which uses wind and solar energy resources to transfer electricity from Zhangjiakou to Beijing.

Apart from serving the energy needs of the Winter Games, the project also provides about 10 percent of Beijing’s electricity consumption. Furthermore, to protect the environment, Beijing and Zhangjiakou have planted 47,333 and 33,000 hectares of forest, respectively – the project which commenced in 2014 generates about 530,000 and 570,000 tonnes of forestry carbon sequestration. Overall, the manner in which all these significant social, economic and environmental gains derived from the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics are improving lives, accelerating inclusive growth and protecting the environment align with China’s pursuit of a common prosperity which is consistent with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent speech at the Davos Agenda. He said “The common prosperity we desire is not egalitarianism. To use an analogy, we will first make the pie bigger, and then divide it properly through reasonable institutional arrangements. As a rising tide lifts all boats, everyone will get a fair share from development, and development gains will benefit all our people in a more substantial and equitable way.”

Clearly, the Chinese government’s people-centered development approach which prioritizes common prosperity is improving lives now and in the future, an impressive outcome that cannot be hidden under a bushel.