Charting China’s Winter Olympics Rise
Foreign Policy
by Eli Wizevich and Maxine DaveyFebruary 13, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
China’s rise at the Winter Olympics reflects a strategic blend of sports diplomacy and national ambition. President Xi Jinping’s 2014 announcement to engage 300 million Chinese citizens in winter sports marked the beginning of a concerted effort to transform China into a global winter sports powerhouse. This initiative included integrating winter sports into school curriculums, investing heavily in infrastructure, and recruiting elite foreign-born athletes to compete under China’s flag. While the 2022 Beijing Olympics saw diplomatic boycotts from the U.S. and others over Xinjiang concerns
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Originally published on Foreign Policy on 2/13/2026