Winter Olympics chance to boost reform

The International Olympic Committee's Evaluation Commission arrived in Beijing to review proposed plans and venues for hosting the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Beijing and Zhangjiakou, a city in North China, submitted the bid last July, and their only rival is Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Beijing made the application after its successful hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games, which shows clearly China's intention to intimately communicate with the international community. 

China's national strength is growing, but it is not acting unilaterally. It has a positive attitude toward interacting with the world.

Beijing failed in its first bid for the Olympic Games in 1993. Eight years later, it was successful. Today's China is no longer what it used to be. The West had grumbled about Beijing's hosting of the Olympic Games. But nowadays, such scenarios are unlikely to occur.

The 2008 Olympic Games not only served as a boost to China's development, but also pushed forward the country's opening-up. The event brought the Chinese people to the world and enabled them to cope with various troubles brought by their interaction with the world.

We hold a calm attitude toward the joint bid by Beijing and Zhangjiakou this time. 

We used to be irritated by the West's paranoid thinking of China hosting international events, but gradually we are viewing it with ease. 

On the Internet, the Chinese people share more divergent views toward this bid than they did for the 2008 Games. But this doesn't mean Chinese society holds a negative attitude toward such moves. The different online opinions reflect China's diverse opinion sphere.

If the bid is successful, it will inject new momentum into China's future opening-up. 

No matter the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank or the bid for the Olympic Games, China has taken the initiative in opening itself more and spurring integration with the world. Such an initiative will benefit China itself and the world.

China's entry onto the center of the world's stage requires the world's acknowledgement. China should also have a clear goal of what it can achieve. Besides the Olympic Games and international events such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting and the G20, China's opening-up needs more in-depth explorations.

The run up to 2022 is a key period for North China to curb air pollution. If the 2022 Winter Olympic Games are to be held there, the preparation process and pollution management efforts will boost each other, enhancing the Olympic spirit.

We wish the bid success and that China will retain its passion for opening-up. Solving troubles is a due process of China's growing, and that's how we avoid potential crises.