IAS Current affairs - Bad Bank

Winter Olympics

 

 

Context:

  • Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, and five Presidents from Central Asia will be among the around two dozen world leaders heading to Beijing next week for the opening of the Winter Olympics, China announced on Friday.
  • During the visit, Mr. Putin will discuss the ongoing crisis with Ukraine with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Kremlin said the two leaders will spend a “lot of time” discussing the security situation in Europe.

 

Background:

  • China, which has close relations with Russia but has been largely silent on the crisis in Ukraine amid a build-up of Russian forces along its borders, on Thursday called on the U.S. to address Russia’s “legitimate concerns” over NATO’s security presence, in what was its strongest statement of support for Russia so far.
  • The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday said it was “firmly opposed” to actions that increase tensions, when asked about the U.S. providing $200 million in military assistance to Ukraine.

 

 

 

Winter Olympics:

 

  • The 2022 Winter Olympics, officially the XXIV Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Beijing 2022 , is an upcoming international winter multi-sport event scheduled to take place from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beijing and venues near the neighboring towns of Yanqing and Chongli in China.
  • Beijing was elected as host city in July 2015 at the 128th IOC Sessionin Kuala Lumpur.
  • The 2022 Winter Olympics will be the first Winter Olympicsin China, and the last of three consecutive Olympics in East Asia (after the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan).
  • As its second Olympic Games, Beijing will be the first city to have ever hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics: four existing indoor venues originally constructed for the 2008 Summer Olympics will be used as part of these Games, while the Beijing National Stadium will again host the opening and closing ceremonies.

Source: THE HINDU.