ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a webinar on Thursday said China had promoted peace, development and shared prosperity through sports diplomacy during the Winter Olympics 2022.

The webinar on: “Beijing Winter Olympics: Sports Diplomacy for Shared Future” was organised by Friends of BRI Forum.

They said as world leaders and sports teams came together to support China’s Winter Olympic Games, peace and friendship have been strengthened, and all the false politicisation has been neutralised.

They noted there was a greater chance for countries to collaborate and build a shared future.

They said Pakistan and China’s strong partnership was essential for regional peace and security.

Speaking on the occasion, former ambassador of Pakistan to EU and China Nagmana Hashmi said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit had been instrumental in rejuvenating Pakistan-China relations.

She said games were a medium of cooperation and necessary to reduce tensions amongst groups.

Dr Wang Li, Research Fellow, Center for Global Security & Governance, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, said China’s commitment to hosting the Olympics in the face of such extenuating circumstances showcased its economic development, the financial capacity to organise any mega international event, and strength to its global diplomacy.

He touched on China’s increasing technological and innovative developments as a global superpower.

Dr Wang also expressed his view that the unity between Pakistan and China cemented peace and security in the South Asian region.

Huang Yan, Global Communication Manager in Zhejiang, China, explained the exciting highlights of the Beijing Winter Olympics. She explained the role of media, especially digital media, that had made a far-reaching impact on certain instances on people across the globe.

Individuals took to social media sites such as TikTok and Twitter to share their sentiments, earning warm acknowledgments and recognition worldwide. She believes that the media has made substantial contributions towards building lasting relationships and removing all prejudices about countries.

Farhat Asif, Co-Founder of Friends of BRI Forum, highlighted the primary aim of the Friends of BRI forum initiative.

She shared that the forum had organised several conversations on the subject, including business, media, academic institutions linkages amongst 138 countries and international organisations of the world.

She further said that the webinar had been organised to engage in intellectual discourse on China’s vision of sports diplomacy in the context of the Olympic games.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2022