Why the Beijing Winter Olympics Are Facing Cold Winds

When China hosted its first Olympics in 2008, U.S. President George W. Bush was among more than 80 heads of state in attendance in Beijing. Fourteen years later, the 2022 Winter Games are set to open in the same city but a different world, one wracked by a pandemic and one where a more-powerful China finds itself increasingly at odds with the U.S. and other democracies. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for the games to be “simple, safe and splendid,” a challenge as Covid-19 cases mount globally along with international criticism of China’s record on human rights and other issues. U.S. President Joe Biden is among world leaders staying away, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is among those planning to go.

The games will run from Feb. 4-20, with the opening ceremony scheduled Feb. 4 at Beijing’s National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest. Beijing -- the first city to host both a summer and winter games -- will reuse some of the 2008 venues for ice events. The suburb of Yanqing, home to part of the Great Wall, and the city of Zhangjiakou in neighboring Hebei province, will host events such as alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross country and ski jumping. Built for the games, a new high-speed rail line cuts travel time between the ski areas and Beijing to about 45 minutes. The Winter Paralympics will be held March 4-13.