China Unveils Winter Olympics World Leaders Guest List

China unveils Winter Olympics world leaders guest list

China on Friday revealed a list of visiting dignitaries for next week's Winter Olympics that includes the leaders of Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt for an event

Beijing, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Jan, 2022 ) :China on Friday revealed a list of visiting dignitaries for next week's Winter Olympics that includes the leaders of Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt for an event.

Beijing is keen to shore up international support for the Games, which are the most politicised in recent memory.

State broadcaster CCTV released an updated guest list for next Friday's opening ceremony which includes many of China's neighbours, a host of royals and leaders from key nations.

Among the more than 20 foreign visitors on the list are Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Russia's Vladimir Putin was last year the first foreign leader to confirm his presence at the Beijing Olympics and is included on the list released Friday.

The dignitaries will attend the February 4 opening ceremony, a welcome banquet and "relevant bilateral activities" with Xi, CCTV reported.

The list released by CCTV also includes leaders from China's Central Asian neighbours as well as the Emir of Qatar and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed.

Other royals include Thailand's Princess Sirindhorn and Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Confirmed European invitees include Poland's President Andrzej Duda and Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic.

World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are among global institution leaders coming to the Games.

The arrival of the dignitaries will kick off a flurry of face-to-face diplomatic activity for Xi, who has remained in China throughout the coronavirus pandemic as the country pursues a strict zero-Covid strategy.

Xi received International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach in Beijing earlier this week -- his first face-to-face meeting with a visiting foreign official in two years.