July 7, 2015 A Chinese spokeswoman Wang Hui, has revealed that Beijing‘s team bidding to host the 2022 Winter Olympics is unaffected by the corruption investigation into a deputy Chinese sports minister who was part of the country’s Olympic committee.
The Communist Party‘s anti-graft watchdog the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said Xiao Tian, a deputy head of China’s General Administration of Sport, is being probed for suspected “serious breaches of discipline and the law”, A.K.A corruption.
Wang Hui told reporters that China was committed to holding a “clean Olympics” and that Xiao’s investigation showed the “vigor” of the government’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign. Wang Hui said:
“Thank you for your question. Just like you I got this news from the media. But I think the investigation into Xiao Tian reflects the Chinese government‘s anti corruption vigor. On applying for the winter games we at the Beijing winter Olympic bid committee ensured from the start the principle of holding a clean Olympics. The idea of a clean (Olympic bid) is exactly what we mean when we mention ‘pure’ in our ‘joyful rendezvous upon pure ice and snow’ bid proposal (slogan),”
Wang spoke more on the corruption probe saying:
“Xiao Tian was indeed on the Chinese Olympic committee. But I believe that the handling of Xiao Tian won’t in the slightest will not affect our application. Quite the opposite – it will make Chinese sports even cleaner. Our confidence has not been shaken. We will as before carry on with our application work. At the moment we are making an all out effort to this year’s 128th Olympic meeting in Kuala Lumpur,”
President Xi Jinping, an avowed soccer fan like hundreds of millions of his compatriots, has bemoaned corruption in Chinese football as a national embarrassment, and is seriously seeking an end.
Beijing is competing with Almaty in Kazakhstan to host the Winter Olympic Games in 2022. A decision will be announced on July 31.