"The sports venues in Beijing and Zhangjiakou are meeting the highest international standards and despite severe restrictions in place due to the pandemic I believe China is well-prepared to host exciting and successful Olympic Winter Games," the ambassador said.
He added the hosting of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing-Zhangjiakou will strengthen China's sports and leisure industry, and the rapidly emerging Chinese winter sports market promises enormous potential for further deepening cooperation between the two countries in various fields like winter sports equipment, infrastructure and winter tourism.
What else did he say? Let's take a look.
Q1: Austria is a powerhouse in ice and snow sports in Europe. Reports say Austria is sending a delegation of around 110 athletes to Beijing. Which should we look out for from your country?
A1: Austria is sending 106 athletes to Beijing who will participate in 11 disciplines. Among them we expect three former Olympic champions – Anna Gasser and David Gleirscher, both won gold at Pyeongchang 2018 in snowboard and luge respectively, as well as Matthias Mayer, who has won Olympic gold two times in alpine skiing. Ski jumper Stefan Kraft is a three-time world champion, alpine skiers Vincent Kriechmayer and Katharina Liensberger are reigning double world champions and female luger Madeleine Egle has already won four World Cup races this season, just to mention some. However, I believe all our athletes are excellent in their specific disciplines and I am sure they very much look forward to proving their unique skills in Beijing.
Q2: Austria has successfully held two Winter Olympic Games and one Youth Winter Olympics. What are your expectations for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games?
A2: We hope the Austrian team will be as successful as in Pyeongchang or Sochi, with Austria among the top 10 nations in the medal table. A medal total of 14 to 17 seems realistic according to the results of the past weeks and months. But at the end the number of medals is not the most important thing, enjoying sports together with athletes from around the world according to the Olympic spirit should prevail.
The sports venues in Beijing and Zhangjiakou are meeting the highest international standards and despite severe restrictions in place due to the pandemic I believe China is well-prepared to host exciting and successful Olympic Winter Games.
Q3: How can China and Austria cooperate in winter sports, and how can China learn from Austria in building the country into a destination for winter sports?
A3: For many years Austrian companies in the winter sports sector have been active in the Chinese market and we are happy to see this sector has been expanding rapidly in recent years. Austria has provided expertise in constructing Olympic venues, organizing the Games as well as training the coaches and athletes. We are very proud of knowledge that contributes to the successful holding of the Beijing Winter Games.
The rapidly emerging Chinese winter sports market promises enormous potential for further deepening our cooperation in various fields like winter sports equipment, infrastructure and winter tourism. When expanding this sector attention should always be paid to nature conservation, protection of the environment and sustainability. I am pleased Austria is a reliable partner in this field.
Q4: What's your take on cooperation opportunities between the two countries in trade and economic sectors?
A4: Despite COVID-related declines, China was by far Austria's most important trading partner in Asia in 2020, with a bilateral trade volume of around 14 billion euros, the second most important supplier of imports and the fifth most important trading partner worldwide – a positive trend which continued into 2021. On this basis there are many cooperation opportunities which we are ready to develop.
For example, new business opportunities arise from certain post-COVID trends. This includes digitalization, like smart manufacturing or e-health. Biotech, pharmaceuticals and medical technology will benefit from the expansion of healthcare systems. Increased health awareness will ensure more demand for leisure activities, especially sports and exercise. We reckon the hosting of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and Zhangjiakou will strengthen China's sports and leisure industry. Many Austrian providers have already successfully positioned themselves in this market.
Q5: The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. What’s your view on the future of bilateral ties?
A5: The year 2021 was a great opportunity to duly celebrate our bilateral relations with various events. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, big cultural projects such as an exhibition on the Ming and Qing dynasties in Vienna and an exhibition on the Habsburgs in Beijing could not be carried out. I hope these can be realized in the near future.
Bilateral relations have developed steadily over the past 50 years and reached a peak before the outbreak. There is still great potential for further deepening and broadening our relations on the political, economic and cultural levels, as well as in fields like environmental protection, science and technology and education. We hope exchanges in person at political levels, which had to be suspended due to the pandemic, will resume as soon as possible. I look forward to helping shape the further development of our relations in my capacity as ambassador.
