Speed skaters are busy engaged in pre-competition adaptive training at Heilongjiang Ice Events Training Center in Harbin ahead of the 9th Asian Winter Games that will open on Friday.
Athletes have arrived in the northeastern Chinese city to get ready for the week-long event scheduled from Feb 7 to 14.
On Friday, skaters were seen practicing on the center's speed skating rink to adapt to the condition. Among those training skaters was Ning Zhongyan, one of the Chinese delegation's flagbearers for the opening ceremony, who is in good shape for the Asian Winter Games.
Ning finished fifth at Beijing 2022 and has won four silver and four bronze medals from the 2024-2025 ISU World Cups. He is excited to compete on home ice.
"I'm incredibly proud and excited. At the Beijing Winter Olympics, my teammate Gao Tingyu was the flag bearer for China and won a gold medal. I will also take him as a goal and strive to win a gold medal at the Asian Winter Games to deliver a satisfying result to the people of my hometown and the entire nation. Other countries are also very strong, and this will be a great opportunity for us to exchange experiences and learn from each other," said Ning who was born in Heilongjiang.
The speed skating rink will host 14 medal events from Feb 8 to 11, including men's and women's individual races at 100m, 500m, 1000m, 1500m, and 5000m, as well as the team pursuit event.
China has sent a strong 20-member team, comprising 10 men and 10 women. Athletes from Japan, India, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Thailand, and other countries and regions will also be competing. According to the organizers, over 1,200 athletes from 34 countries and regions across Asia will compete at the 9th Asian Winter Games. The opening ceremony will be held on Friday.
Speed skaters have adaptive training for Asian Winter Games
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday that mediation efforts of the Pakistani side regarding the Middle East tensions are in the common interests of all parties.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in his talks with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Beijing.
During their talks, the two sides exchanged views on current international issues and regional conflicts.
Wang welcomed the visit of the Pakistani side to Beijing for discussion on easing tensions in the Middle East, just after its holding of a quadrilateral foreign ministers' meeting in Islamabad.
He said China supports and looks forward to Pakistan playing a unique and important role in easing the situation and resuming peace talks. This process is no easy task, and Pakistan's mediation efforts are in line with the common interests of all parties, Wang added.
He noted China is willing to make joint efforts with Pakistan to end the hostilities as soon as possible, create opportunities for peace and open the window for peace talks.
On bilateral ties, Wang said this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan, calling on both sides to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and constantly advance the building of a China-Pakistan community with a shared future.
For his part, Dar said the Pakistan-China friendship is precious and deeply rooted in people's hearts, adding that Pakistan is willing to work with China to promote the continuous development of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.
Dar thanked China for supporting Pakistan's mediation of the situation in Iran, adding that the current conflict has disrupted international energy supplies and caused heavy damage to developing countries.
Noting that solutions can only be found through negotiation, Dar said Pakistan is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China to push all parties to start peace talks as soon as possible and restore regional peace.
The two sides also put forward a five-point initiative for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East region:
I. Immediate cessation of hostilities: China and Pakistan call for immediate cessation of hostilities and utmost efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading. Humanitarian assistance must be allowed to all war-affected areas.
II. Start of peace talks as soon as possible. Sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security of Iran and the Gulf states should be safeguarded. Dialogue and diplomacy is the only viable option to resolve conflicts. China and Pakistan support the relevant parties in initiating talks, with all parties committing to peaceful resolution of disputes, and refraining from the use or the threat of use of force during peace talks.
III. Security of nonmilitary targets. The principle of protecting civilians in military conflict should be observed. China and Pakistan call on parties to the conflict to immediately stop attacks on civilians and nonmilitary targets, and fully adhere to International Humanitarian Law, and stop attacking important infrastructure, including energy, desalination and power facilities, and peaceful nuclear infrastructure, such as nuclear power plants.
IV. Security of shipping lanes. The Strait of Hormuz, together with its adjacent waters, is an important global shipping route for goods and energy. China and Pakistan call on the parties to protect the security of ships and crew members stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, allow the early and safe passage of civilian and commercial ships, and restore normal passage through the Strait as soon as possible.
V. Primacy of the United Nations Charter. China and Pakistan call for efforts to practice true multilateralism, to jointly strengthen the primacy of the United Nations, and to support the conclusion of an agreement for establishing a comprehensive peace framework and realizing lasting peace based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law.
Pakistan's mediation efforts in common interests of all parties: Chinese FM
