
BEIJING -- The 2022 Winter Olympics kicked off in Beijing on Friday with the world still in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite being an international sports festival with athletes from various countries and regions coming together, the focus of the Games has increasingly been inward facing, with China emphasizing the achievements of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who played leading roles in bringing the Summer and Winter Olympic Games to Beijing, the first city to host both events.