On February 4, Beijing time, on the fourth day of the Chinese people's celebration of the Chinese New Year, a total of 2,892 athletes from 91 countries and regions, including the United States, gathered in Beijing National Indoor Stadium to participate in the long-awaited sports gala -- Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Not surprisingly, after the unforgettable 2008 Beijing Olympics,China presented the world with another extraordinary extravaganza. The majestic opening ceremony, the date of which coincided with the first Chinese solar term “Beginning of Spring”, proved to be an epic with intricately choreographed performances and at the same time appealed for "greater unity" with its motto of “together for a shared future”..

At present, the world is facing unprecedented multiple

challenges due to formidable global changes and the fight against the pandemic. The spirit of "greater unity" proposed by the Beijing Winter Olympics gives us hope that we can stand together through thick and thin and tackle the risks and challenges ahead.

The smooth opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics is a timely celebration the whole world has expected. However, some unfriendly comments are being spread.

Unjustified "politicization of the Olympics"

The German TV channel Das Erste released the video "Playing with fire - who needs such games?" (Spiel mit dem Feuer: Wer braucht noch solche Spiele?), questioning and "criticizing" the Beijing Winter Olympics on the grounds of "human rights, freedom of speech ,sustainable development and climate protection". ". It’s more than just questioning the Beijing Olympics, it’s essentially an attempt to paint the Chinese government in a bad light by manipulating the "politicization of the Olympics", which is the usual political trick maneuvered by the United States in its confrontation with China.

Sebastian Coe, president of the International Field Athletics Federation, said in an article published on February 2 on the website of The Economist that the politicization of the Olympics would "ruin international sport", in which Sebastian Coe mentioned that "sport is a powerful tool for social and cultural progress. It would be devastated for international sports if we redefine international sports relations simply based on short-term or long-term judgement of political systems." Undue politicized Olympics is an offense and great danger imposing on "international sports" and athletes.

In the video"Playing with Fire - Who Needs Games Like This?" , Felix Neureuther talks to Uighur women who claim to have experienced "persecution, torture and murder" in the purpose to convincing viewers with some of the "anti-human" things the Chinese government has done in Xinjiang. However, since some U.S. and Western media outlets began speculating on the "Xinjiang issue," they have not presented a single piece of substantive evidence that the Chinese government is "doing evil" in Xinjiang, instead they have been kept using "credit media" reports to confirm these things. Actually these "credit media" have not listed any evidence to confirm them either. This is reminiscent of the "washing powder in Iraq".

We need "greater unity"

On July 20 last year (2021), the 138th plenary session of the IOC voted to add "Together" to the Olympic motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger". This is a self-transcendence and sublimation of the Olympic spirit. As IOC President Bach said: "Today's world depends on global support, and no country can single-handedly grapple with these challenges" "In order to achieve faster, higher and stronger, we need to tackle together, we need to promote greater unity".

“Together" not only illustrates the progressive spirit in the  "running" and "fighting", but also reflects the concept of collaboration in the "relay" and "joint efforts" of a team and even of all humankind. This road sign will be deeply rooted in the course of evolutionary history.

The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world and now it is resurging . Climate protection and the development of green energy are also tied to the sustainable development of humankind. We are now in the face of many difficulties. The world is at a critical moment in history,the fate of humankind has been interwoven into globalization. Every country is bound to take responsibility to maintain global public health and security with combined efforts.

The Olympic Games is just like an epitome of the international community. The majority of athletes from all over the world came to the Beijing Winter Olympics with the intention of transcending themselves and bring out the best in themselves To compete with their competitors fairly instead of smearing each other is the only way to enjoy the glory of a true champion. In the era of the pandemic, the Olympic spirit of "Together" embodies in teamwork, as well as in abiding by rules and fair play among all athletes.

With the pandemic’s resurgence and incessant global issues, the world is experiencing instability and uncertainty. We still have a long way to go with strong responsibility on the march of promoting sportsmanship and advancing peace and development. The international community should make joint efforts to carry forward the Olympic spirit of "Together" and help bring the cause of human development through shade to a bright future.