China’s Foreign Ministry has announced that president Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia. This will be Xi’s first foreign trip in 2014 and the first time a Chinese President will be attending a major overseas sporting event.
A manifestation of the close relationship between China and Russia.
This is how China’s Vice Foreign Minister, Cheng Guoping described the importance of President Xi’s visit to the Sochi Winter Olympics.
Xi is scheduled to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during his three-day visit starting from February 6th. The two presidents will discuss major regional and international issues and set a tone for the development of ties between the two countries in the new year.
Experts say the visit also shows China’s belief in promoting the development of the Olympic Games and its strong will to promote world peace and cooperation.
They add that Chinese leaders are paying greater attention to public diplomacy, public opinion and communication with people in other countries.
When asked whether there will be a meeting between President Xi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Cheng replied that there will be no talks or meetings between the two leaders.
He reiterated that until the Japanese leader completely acknowledges Japan’s wrongdoings in World War II, the Chinese government’s position on meeting Japanese leaders remains very clear.
This year, China will send a delegation of about 130 athletes. They will compete in 40 games including skiing, skating, and curling. The country is also planning to bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics, with Beijing and its neighboring city of Zhangjiakou as the host.
