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 Beijing, which will host the event with the nearby city of
Zhangjiakou, had been the favorite to win the Games ahead of
Kazakhstan's Almaty at the IOC selection meeting in Kuala Lumpur on
Friday.
While Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Games to wide acclaim, its bid
for the lower profile Winter Games had been dogged by concerns over
a number of issues including the city's notorious smog problem, a
lack of snow and its poor human rights record.
The overseas edition of the ruling Communist Party's official
People's Daily said the world could breath easy over any worries it
might have about Beijing's ability to hold the large-scale event.
"In China, every promise will be fully realized," the paper wrote in
a front page commentary.
"In our preparation work, though all sorts of difficulties will
present themselves, like traffic or environmental problems, Beijing
will redouble its efforts to overcome them."
China is now the world's second largest economy, with a stable
political system, harmonious society and a happy populous, even if
it is not a great winter sports power, it added.
"But it's an undisputed fact that more and more Chinese love winter
sports," it said.
The Global Times, a popular and influential tabloid published by the
People's Daily, said China could be more relaxed this time around,
compared with 2008.
"This time when we host the Winter Games, we may be able to be more
relaxed, focusing on the beauty of the sports instead of laboring
ourselves in ensuring a perfect event. We can try to make the 2022
Games a big party," it said in a editorial.
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People who opposed the Games in China are not a part of mainstream
society, the paper added.
"Some of them are just following the voices of popular Western-style
opponents. Others have their marginal reasons. But these opinions
are not mainstream in China."
The city government's official Beijing Daily said that the Games had
already spurred efforts to clean up the environment, and that
Beijing and Zhangjiakou would not disappoint the world.
"We have the confidence, the ability and the conditions to put on a
secure, vibrant and joyful Winter Olympics for the world," it said
in an editorial.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
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