On his way from Davos to Geneva, Chinese President Xi Jinping, stopped in Lausanne where he visited the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters and its president Thomas Bach. It is the first time a Chinese leader has visited the Olympic city. He arrived yesterday evening and visited the IOC today.
Xi Jinping and Thomas Bach © International Olympic Committee
The two leaders chatted about the 2022 winter Olympics in Beijing, an event which will make Beijing the first city to host both Summer and Winter games.
A big concern for Chinese games organisers is likely to be the winter air pollution which plagues the city. The problem is so bad the South China Morning Post has a web page dedicated to the city’s pollution.
During the Beijing summer Olympics, factories were shut down to clear the air. Winter weather makes the challenge even greater. On 16 December 2016, the government issued a pollution red alert for the city.
Xi Jinping’s stop in Lausanne, was calmer than his stop in Bern on Sunday where more than 200 exiled Tibetans protested ahead of his arrival, and several people were arrested, reported RTS.
Beijing air pollution © Xi Zhang | Dreamstime.com
Xi’s next stop is the UN in Geneva.
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