Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday in Beijing, who is in China to attend the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said Bachelet is a world-renowned stateswoman and a long-time friend of the Chinese people. He conveyed his hopes for her continued efforts in supporting the United Nations' mission and contributing to world peace and stability.
Wang highlighted the significant challenges facing multilateralism today, noting that the UN requires reform, but with the goal of strengthening, not weakening, the organization. He reaffirmed China's unwavering support for the UN, emphasizing that China remains its steadfast advocate and long-term partner.
He stressed that history and facts will prove that unilateral bullying has no support and that the world is moving towards multipolarity. The UN, he said, will overcome risks and challenges, continuing to work for peace and development.
Bachelet congratulated China on successfully hosting the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, saying that the friendship between Chile and China has deep historical roots.
She attributed the high-level development of bilateral relations to both countries sharing common values, and supporting multilateralism, peaceful solutions to disputes and the central role of the UN. She called for concerted efforts to strengthen the role of the UN through reform, highlighting the need to tackle global challenges together.
Chinese FM meets former Chilean president
The torch relay for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games began on Saturday morning in Rome, marking the start of a two-month journey ahead of next year's opening ceremony.
The launch ceremony was held at the Stadio dei Marmi, an open-air arena lined with Roman-style statues next to Rome's Olympic Stadium.
At around 09:50, Giancarlo Peris, the final torchbearer of the 1960 Rome Games, brought the flame onto the launch stage. A torch was lit with the flame, and Giovanni Malago, president of the Milan-Cortina 2026 organizing committee, lit the cauldron with it.
The first torchbearer, Italy's Olympic champion Gregorio Paltrinieri, lit the relay torch from the cauldron and then ran a half-lap around the stadium to cheers from spectators, officially starting the relay.
Italian fencer Elisa Di Francisca and high jump Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi followed as the second and third torchbearers and completed their relay segments inside the stadium. Tamberi performed a torch kiss with the next runner, Achille Polonara, who carried the flame out of the stadium to begin the route through the city.
The relay will traverse 12,000 kilometers over 60 days across Italy, pass through more than 300 municipalities and feature celebrations in 60 cities, reach all 110 Italian provinces, and light up UNESCO sites along the route.
More than 10,000 torchbearers from all walks of life will take part in the relay, including figures from sectors of sports, culture, film and civil society.
The flame will see Christmas in Naples, New Year in Bari, and return to Cortina d'Ampezzo on January 26, 2026, the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Winter Games opening ceremony. The relay will conclude on February 6 at Milan's San Siro Stadium.
Andrea Varnier, CEO of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games' organizing committee, said the torch relay will strengthen the spirit of peace and hope for humanity.
"Our torch will pass through all cultural heritage sites. So along the way, we'll see both our nation's historical landmarks as well as natural landscapes. But what matters most are the people who embrace the torch as a symbol of peace and hope. Athletes and ordinary citizens carrying the Winter Olympics torch will carry the spirit all the way to Milan," he said.
Torch relay for Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games starts in Rome
Torch relay for Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games starts in Rome
