Chengdu sees influx of athletes for upcoming World Games

Southwest China's Chengdu -- the host city of the upcoming 12th World Games -- received an influx of athletes from more than 20 countries on Sunday, with over 300 people expected to arrive on the day alone.

Starting from Sunday midnight, the Chengdu World Games Official Accreditation Center officially commenced full operation, initiating the arrival and departure clearance services for the Games.

Upon arrival, athletes expressed their eagerness not only to compete at a high level, but also to experience the unique charm and cultural attractions of Chengdu.

"I feel extremely excited. Like most of my teammates, this is my first time to China. I'm very happy to participate in such a large-scale event. In addition to the competition, we have all planned to visit the panda base to see the giant pandas. During the event, we will have two or three days of free time, which will give us the opportunity to explore the city of Chengdu a little bit," said an athlete from Switzerland.

The Accreditation Center has established the arrival and departure clearance service areas at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Chengdu East Railway Station for the guidance, inquiries and other assistant work.

The arrival and departure services of the World Games will run until August 18, with over 5,000 Games-related personnel expected to clear customs during this period.

The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, weakened 14 pips to 7.0078 against the U.S. dollar Friday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.

In China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day.

The central parity rate of the yuan against the U.S. dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day.