IOC president Bach upholds WADA authority

"We recognize World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as the supreme authority in anti-doping," said International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach on Friday in Paris.

Bach made the remarks at a press conference during the Paris Olympics, addressing the recent controversy involving the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). Bach emphasized the IOC's full confidence in WADA, urging all involved parties to engage in dialog to resolve the dispute and ensure fair treatment of all athletes.

"This is all about the respect for the supreme authority of WADA. And we have been calling on everybody to respect this supreme authority as the IOC does. And we have delegated our entire anti-doping system to ITA (Court of Arbitration for Sport) and CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport), and ITA working under this supreme authority of WADA. And we have full confidence in the work of WADA and have asked all the stakeholders involved in this public dispute to sit together and have a dialogue to come to a solution which ensures a fair competition and the fair treatment of all athletes of the world," Bach said.

The controversy stems from the remarks by WADA that USADA allowed athletes who violated anti-doping rules to continue competing without sanctions. In exchange for their cooperation in providing information on other doping violations, these athletes were reportedly shielded from public exposure and penalties.

WADA has condemned this practice as a blatant violation of the World Anti-Doping Code, which threatens the integrity of global sporting competition.

Bach reiterated that the IOC has delegated its entire anti-doping responsibilities to the ITA and WADA, underlining that the IOC will not interfere in individual doping cases.

He maintained that WADA, as the supreme authority, is responsible for ensuring compliance with anti-doping rules and safeguarding the fairness of competition.

"Again, the IOC has delegated all our anti-doping system to ITA and WADA. And we recognize the WADA as the supreme authority in anti-doping and therefore we will not interfere in any way in individual doping cases, one way or the other. For us, WADA is the body to decide," the IOC chief said.

IOC president Bach upholds WADA authority

IOC president Bach upholds WADA authority

IOC president Bach upholds WADA authority

IOC president Bach upholds WADA authority

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Vietnam Bui Thanh Son in Beijing on Tuesday, with both sides pledging to promote the China-Vietnam community with a shared future.

Noting that China and Vietnam are comrades in the socialist cause and good partners on the path of reform, Han said General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President Xi Jinping and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam have made strategic plans for advancing the China-Vietnam community with a shared future, providing clear direction for the development of bilateral relations.

Noting that next year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the China-Vietnam Year of People-to-People Exchanges, Han said the two sides should follow the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, maintain strategic communication, expand practical cooperation, consolidate the foundation of public opinion, strengthen multilateral coordination and promote the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, bringing more benefits to the two peoples.

Bui Thanh Son said that developing long-term friendly relations with China is the consistent proposition, objective requirement, strategic choice and top priority of Vietnam's diplomacy.

Vietnam firmly adheres to the one-China policy and is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen pragmatic cooperation with China, and jointly promote the building of a Vietnam-China community with a shared future with strategic significance, he added.

Chinese, Vietnamese officials pledge to promote China-Vietnam community with shared future