Performers dance with drums ahead of IOC's announcement of the winner city for the 2022 winter Olympics bid, outside the Birds' Nest, also known as the National Stadium, in Beijing, China, July 31, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

President Xi extends appreciation to IOC for trust and support

President Xi Jinping sent a letter of appreciation to International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach on Friday evening, expressing thanks to the IOC for its trust and support in selecting Beijing, together with Zhangjiakou, as the host of the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

"Today, Beijing, together with Zhangjiakou, has won the bid to host the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Let me extend, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, our appreciation to the IOC for its trust and strong support over the years," Xi said in the letter.

"To present a fantastic, extraordinary and excellent Winter Olympics is the aspiration of over 1.3 billion Chinese people. We will fulfill all our commitments and witness, together with the people of all other countries and the IOC, the advent of a new phase in the development of Olympic winter sports and in the spread of the Olympic spirit," Xi said. More stories