Nobody expected him. But China submitted a candidacy for the 2013 Winter Games at the beginning of November 2022. The Chinese project brings together two cities, the capital Beijing, where the ice events would take place, and the prefectural city of Zhangjiakou, where the concentration would be snow sites. On paper, its chances seem limited, Asia having already obtained the organization of the 2018 Winter (Pyeongchang) and 2020 Summer (Tokyo) Games. But the vice president of the Chinese Olympic Committee, Yang Shu'an, confided it to FrancsJeux: China believes it.

FrancsJeux: Why did China apply to host the 2022 Winter Games?

Yang Shu'an: For several reasons. The first is simple: we fully support the development of the Olympic movement. This application is part of this process. But we also want, at the Chinese Olympic Committee, to develop all sporting disciplines. We did it for summer sports before the Beijing Games in 2008. We are doing it now for winter sports. And then, we believe in China that sport must be part of the economic and social development of the country. By 2020, a goal has been set at the state level to enable the Chinese to have a comfortable life. To do this, we must improve infrastructure and the environment. Our bid for the 2022 Games can play a role in this.

Will you have to build everything to host the Winter Games, like Russia did for the 2014 Games?

No. Most of the infrastructure already exists. For the ice disciplines, we could use some equipment built for the 2008 Beijing Games. We would only need to build an ice rink for long track speed skating. The press centers would be reused. For snow events, many facilities exist. They just need to be renovated.

Your application is supported by two cities, Beijing and Zhangjiakou, quite distant from each other. Is this not a weakness of your project?

No. The two cities are 230 km apart. But the Chinese government has already approved the project to build a high-speed train which will allow you to go from one to the other in around forty minutes. A train that will be put into circulation whether we have the Olympic Games or not.

After Pyeongchang 2018 and Tokyo 2020, it is hard to imagine the IOC granting the Games to Asia for a third time. Should we conclude that you are candidates for the 2022 Olympics with the idea of ​​winning the 2026 Olympics?

No. We do not have a 2022/2026 strategy. We want to win, without ulterior motives. We will do our best. The most important thing for the IOC is to find the city that can best host the Games. We think we have our chances.