Winter Olympics Opening Gives China a Chance to Spin Its Image

Opinions of China in West have cratered amid reports of abuses
Unlike 2008, Beijing has touted a ‘simple’ opening ceremony

WATCH: Despite the cold shoulder from some nations, a Covid-cautious opening ceremony is set to go in Beijing on Friday. Kurumi Mori reports.Source: Bloomberg

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By Lisa Du

February 3, 2022 at 10:00 AM UTC

Updated on

February 4, 2022 at 1:04 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

The most political moment of the 2022 Winter Olympics is upon us.

The opening ceremony, which start Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. in Beijing, will give President Xi Jinping his best chance to use the games to burnish his country’s image. Almost immediately afterward, the competitions will take over the spotlight, but for a few hours on Friday, China will have the attention of a worldwide audience to itself.