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    During the event, representatives of the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee and the National Olympic Committee of China spoke about the preparations for the XXIV Olympic Winter Games and took questions from journalists.

    Наталья Пахаленко

    Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Russian Federation Zhang Hanhui:

     — First of all, I would like to thank the ROC for its support, because the development of the Olympic movement is not so much about winning medals, but about helping its participants. We look forward to arriving in Beijing, the city that will be the first in history to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games as well as guests from all over the world.

    Russia and China are two large and influential world powers. In 2014, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xí Jìnpíng took part in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi. This was the first time that a Chinese leader had attended such a sporting event held overseas.

    In February 2022, Vladimir Putin, at the invitation of Xí Jìnpíng, will attend the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, which demonstrates the inner motivation of the two leaders and the high value of relations between our countries.

    On our part, we will provide full assistance to the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee, Russian coaches, athletes and members of the delegation during preparatory events in China and during the competitions themselves.

     Deputy General Director of the ROC, Head of the ROC President’s Office Rodion Plitukhin:

     — First of all, I want to thank all our colleagues from the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee, NOC China, the Government of China and all involved parties for organizing the upcoming Winter Olympics as scheduled in spite of the ongoing global pandemic.

    Наталья Пахаленко

    We regularly communicate with the Chinese side and see how attentively, responsibly and scrupulously the organizers of the Games approach the health and well-being of all participants. Yes, the restrictions and anti-coronavirus regulations are very rigorous. But we all understand why this is needed and follow the established protocols. After all, it is essential for the entire Olympic community to provide an opportunity for athletes from all over the world to realize their dreams, and for spectators, even if not in the stands but behind their screens and monitors, to cheer for their idols and enjoy the uncompromising competitions of the best athletes on the planet.

    The ROC often receives questions about assessing the readiness of facilities and infrastructure in Beijing for the Games, as well as the conditions in the Olympic Village. So far, no one amongst our representatives has been able to personally visit the capital of the 2022 Winter Games, but according to reviews those who went to preliminary competitions and got acquainted with the venues of the Olympic Games gave a high assessment of China’s readiness, and regarding accommodation facilities, there were no complaints. Therefore, we can confidently state that the Games should be held at a high level.

    As for the Russian athletes, training is proceeding as planned. It is assumed that our delegation will include 459 people, including 216 athletes in all sports included in the Winter Olympic Games program.

    As of today, the national teams of Russia in curling (men and women), cross-country skiing, figure skating and ice hockey (men and women), have passed the Olympic selection. This gives us a total of 92 people. The qualifying selection for the Games will end on January 16, 2022. Official confirmation of the composition of our Olympic team is scheduled for January 20.

    Teams in 10 sports will be trained on the territory of the Russian Federation in several regions. These are biathlon (men), bobsleigh, curling, speed skating, cross-country skiing, luge, snowboarding, figure skating, freestyle (acrobatics, mogul, ski cross), hockey and short track. National teams in six other sports are planning the final stage abroad — biathlon (women), alpine skiing, Nordic combined, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and freestyle (big air, slope style, halfpipe).

    Наталья Пахаленко

    As for air travel, today there are daily cargo flights of Aeroflot from Moscow to Beijing and back again. These can be used to transport members of the Olympic delegation and accredited persons, subject to agreement with the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee.

    Since a number of our national teams will carry out the final stage of training in Siberia, there are plans to organize regular flights to Khabarovsk, and from there by charter flights to Beijing. A similar arrangement was implemented in the summer when organizing flights to Tokyo. It is expected that 5-6 charter flights will be organized from Khabarovsk, which will carry 109 participants. Flights from Moscow will carry 307 people, and from Europe — 77 people.

    In connection with air travel, there is a question with figure skating. It is possible that Russian skaters will fly to Beijing directly on charter flights from Krasnoyarsk. Therefore, the assistance of the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee may be required in obtaining the necessary permits for such flights.

    The majority of our delegation and athletes are planning to arrive in Beijing and stay in the Olympic Village in two stages: on January 27 and February 1.

    The topic of vaccination is one of the most widely discussed right now. Here, on almost all issues, we have an understanding with the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee and a clear ROC position, which we have relayed to our Winter Olympic Sports Federations. It is necessary to be vaccinated. It is a step towards collective security and a health guarantee. And finally, almost everyone who is not vaccinated upon arrival in Beijing shall be subject to a 21-day quarantine period, which makes it almost impossible to participate in the Games.

    It can be noted that the vaccination process for our athletes is proceeding as planned. The only thing worth focusing on is the issue of vaccination of minors. According to official data, in the near future, more detailed information will be presented in the next edition of the Manual for the participants of the Games. At the same time, registration of a vaccine for minors is expected in our country at the end of this year. However, the registration of the vaccine and its industrial production are different stages altogether. It is possible that, despite the registration of the vaccine, the possibility of using it will not be guaranteed. In addition, even if it is available, there will be very little time left for vaccination, since, according to the rules of the Organizing Committee, the minimum required period after the completion of vaccination is 14 days. In this regard, more detailed clarification on this issue is urgently needed.

    Наталья Пахаленко

    There is one more pressing issue in this connection. According to preliminary information, the issue of including FMBA of Russia laboratories in the list of organizations that are allowed to carry out PCR tests before going to China has been resolved. In this regard, we look forward to the official publication of data on the list of laboratories previously sent by us to our Chinese colleagues on the official website of the Chinese Embassy in Russia.

    Answering a question from journalists about plans for cooperation and exchange in the field of winter sports between Russia and China in the future, Rodion Plitukhin stressed that the Olympic Committees of the two countries were linked by long-term cooperation aimed at the consistent development and strengthening of the Olympic movement on the territory of both states.

    — Since 2005, the interaction between our NOCs has been supported by the official Agreement on cooperation in the field of sport. Various events and projects have been implemented within the framework of this agreement. The ROC has repeatedly received delegations from the General Administration of Sport of China, the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee and the leadership of Chinese provinces. During the meetings, close contact has also been established with representatives of the Chinese Embassy in Moscow and the Chinese Cultural Center.

    In working order, at the initiative of the Chinese and Russian sides, the ROC provides comprehensive support to projects in the sports field, such as sending famous Russian winter sportsmen to China to participate in various events aimed at popularizing winter sports. The ROC also assisted the Beijing International Film and Zhongwenfa TV Company in establishing contacts with Russian athletes, coaches and other sports specialists for the implementation of a sports multimedia project.

    As part of the Asian Games in Jakarta (Indonesia), NOC China expressed interest in signing a new agreement, namely, the Memorandum of Cooperation between the ROC and NOC China. In accordance with the agreements reached, in September 2018, at the EEF-2018 venue, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the ROC and NOC China. The official documents exchange ceremony was held in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xí Jìnpíng, which undoubtedly emphasized the importance of further productive interaction and cooperation in the sports field between the PRC and the Russian Federation.

    The Memorandum provides for a whole range of joint activities, such as the participation of teams and athletes in bilateral and multilateral competitions and training camps that will be held on the territory of both countries; the exchange of coaches, experts, and students in order to gain new experience; exchange of invitations to participate in congresses, conferences, seminars and courses organized for officials; and the implementation of other joint activities and projects in the field of sports.

    At the moment, within the framework of the current Memorandum, several initiatives are being implemented in sports such as boxing, water polo, shooting and fencing. We plan to expand this cooperation within the framework of international ROC activities, which provides for domain-specific interaction and practical implementation of joint projects with our partners, one of the main things here, of course, for us is NOC China. The upcoming Winter Olympics are a great opportunity to expand this partnership.

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