(Global Times, February 16th) According to the Beijing 2022 official website, Yang Shu’an, vice-president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games (BOCOG), met with Susanne Lyons, chair of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and head of U.S. Winter Olympic Delegation, at the Beijing Winter Olympics Village on the afternoon of the 12th. On behalf of president Cai Qi, Mr. Yang accepted an honorary trophy from the USOPC.

[Photo/beijing2022.cn]

Yang Shu’an conveyed the greetings from president Cai Qi to Lyons and congratulated the American athletes for their excellent performance. Yang commended Lyons for opposing the politicization of sports and upholding the Olympic spirit in her capacity as head of the U.S. delegation and for bringing U.S. athletes to compete in China.

Lyons congratulated BOCOG for its success in holding an extraordinary event amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She said that the US athletes were impressed and satisfied with the facilities and services. She thanked BOCOG and the Chinese Embassy in the United States for assisting the U.S. delegation to participate in the Games, and commended BOCOG for its excellent work and tremendous efforts. The USOPC has always been supporting the Beijing Winter Olympics, and American athletes have also shown great enthusiasm for participating in the Games. She wished both Chinese and American athletes good performance in the remainder of the Games.

Lyons said that she would like to present an honorary trophy to president Cai Qi on behalf of the USOPC as a tribute to his outstanding contribution to the success of the Games. As she explained, the color-glazed artwork assumes the shape of eight, which symbolizes infinite friendship and solidarity. The red color represents China and the fiery enthusiasm of athletes, and blue embodies the beautiful ice and snow and the marvelous venues.

Lyons noted that 51 years ago, Ping-Pong Diplomacy played a critical role in connecting the two countries. Sino-US relations could not have come so far without the friendly exchanges between table tennis players of both countries five decades ago. Lyons supported efforts to deepen dialogue and exchanges between the two Olympic committees, and to promote sports development and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

On behalf of president Cai Qi, Yang Shu’an thanked the USOPC for the honorary trophy and presented gifts to Lyons in return. As Yang said, Lyons and members of the U.S. Delegation are welcome to visit China often to see more of China’s economic and social progress.

By Peng Ao, Wang Yuechen, Huang Qichen and Yin Jun from Beijing Foreign Studies University