Russian President Putin gives exclusive interview to China Media Group
2022-02-03 08:06:45 source：CGTN
February 3, 2022
Ahead of his visit to China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an exclusive interview to Shen Haixiong, president and editor-in-chief of the China Media Group.
Q: Mr. President, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to interview you again. First, let me welcome you to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. In February 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the 22nd Winter Olympics in Sochi at your invitation. This was the first time a Chinese leader had attended a major international sporting event abroad. Then, Xi Jinping said: "If our neighbors have a joyous occasion, we certainly should go there to congratulate them." Today is a joyous occasion for China – we are hosting the Winter Olympics for the first time; all the more so as it comes in the midst of the Spring Festival (the Chinese Lunar New Year). When applying to host the Winter Olympics, China announced a plan to engage 300 million people in winter sports. Now, ski resorts are being built even in my home province of Zhejiang in southern China. You were the first foreign leader to confirm your arrival at the opening ceremony. What special role does sport play in relations between the two neighbors China and Russia? How can our countries strengthen cooperation in ice and snow culture, winter sports and related industries? What results do you expect from Russian athletes at the Olympics? Can you predict how many gold medals they will win?
A: President Xi Jinping and I have known each other for a long time, as good friends and politicians who hold largely the same views on addressing the world's problems; we maintain close and frequent contact. That is why, I immediately responded to his invitation to visit China and to join our Chinese friends in celebrating this year's main sporting event – the Winter Olympic Games. Moreover, the first ever Winter Olympics on Chinese soil will take place in the midst of the Chinese New Year, in Beijing – the first city in the world to host both the Summer and Winter Games.
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