Recently there have been reports that Qingdao might compete with Seoul for the hosting rights of the 2036 Summer Olympics.
Although Qingdao swiftly denied this news, it has reignited discussions about "China's next Olympic city."
Amidst the fervor of Olympic bidding, the comments from Yu Zaiqing, Vice President of the International Olympic Committee, poured cold water on the enthusiasm.
He admitted that while China has at least ten cities capable of bidding for the Olympics, considering the global nature of the Games, the bidding rights should also be given to other countries and regions.
These remarks have sparked widespread discussions and reactions.
Regarding whether Chinese cities still have the opportunity to bid for the Olympics, Yu Zaiqing's response clearly indicates that while China has the capability to host the Games, it may not necessarily need to bid.
He pointed out that the IOC hopes to expand the influence of the Olympic movement globally, so the Games should be held around the world rather than being overly concentrated in a single country or region.
Therefore, despite several Chinese cities meeting the criteria for bidding, the opportunity should also be given to other countries and regions.
It can be said that Yu Zaiqing's words serve as a warning to Chinese cities aspiring to host the Olympics.
In recent years, from Shanghai and Qingdao to Chengdu, there have been continuous reports of cities intending to bid for the Olympics, all actively preparing to vie for this honor.
For example, at the end of May this year, there were reports that Qingdao intended to submit a bid book for the 2036 Summer Olympics to the International Olympic Committee, competing with Seoul.
This news drew attention both domestically and internationally, although Qingdao quickly denied it, stating that they had not received instructions from higher authorities regarding bidding for the 2036 Olympics.
Furthermore, during IOC President Bach's visit to Shanghai last year, there was significant speculation about whether a bid would be proposed.
Although Shanghai did not respond directly, various signs indicate that Shanghai is actively preparing to bid for the Olympics.
For instance, Shanghai will host the inaugural Olympic qualification tournament this year, seen as a step towards bidding for the Games.
In addition to Qingdao and Shanghai, cities like Chengdu, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, among others, are also considered to have the capability to bid for the Olympics.
However, Yu Zaiqing's words undoubtedly poured cold water on the Olympic aspirations of these cities.
Nevertheless, some believe that Yu Zaiqing's remarks reflect the opportunity for China to become a global sports center rather than hindering it.
He did not completely rule out China's chances of bidding but pointed out that various factors, such as the economic strength of the city, need to be considered in determining whether the bidding rights should fall to China.
Therefore, under certain conditions, China still has the opportunity to bid for the Olympics.
Currently, China has become an important host for global sports events.
Just in recent years, events like the World University Games and the World Table Tennis Championships have been held in China successively, and next year, the World University Games will once again be hosted in China.
These events not only showcase China's rich experience in hosting but also demonstrate the growing influence of China in the field of sports.
China's sports industry is also expanding continuously.
For example, through hosting the Summer and Winter Olympics, China's ice and snow sports have experienced explosive growth, driving related infrastructure construction and talent development.
Therefore, even if it might miss the opportunity to bid for the Olympics, China can still leverage its experience in hosting events to become a center for global sports events.
However, behind Yu Zaiqing's public statement lies the intention to uphold the fairness and justice of the Olympics.
In recent years, the IOC has been strengthening its scrutiny of countries and regions bidding for the Olympics to prevent any irregularities during the bidding process.
Therefore, despite China's capability to host the Olympics, the bidding rights should be fairly distributed globally to prevent abuse.
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