Xi Jinping opens China-hosted Asian Games as colourful ceremony in Hangzhou tells of ‘tide rising from Asia’
- Technology and ecological protection are central themes of extravaganza at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, watched by Xi and visiting counterparts
- Ceremony marks the official start of the Games, featuring almost 12,000 athletes, 45 countries and territories, and 40 sports
Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the delayed 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou on Saturday night amid a blaze of artistry and technology, befitting an event hailed as the biggest, greenest and most innovative of its kind.
The 80,000 spectators packed into Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium let out a huge roar when Xi entered and sat next to visiting dignitaries, including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with whom he had held meetings earlier in the day.
On several levels, the Games – which had been delayed by Covid-19 – will be China’s biggest sporting event in more than a decade, with almost 12,000 athletes from 45 countries and territories competing across 40 sports.
Drawing inspiration from everything from ancient Chinese culture to the seemingly boundless advances made in the unofficial home of the country’s tech industry, the opening ceremony’s theme of “tide rising from Asia” was played out against a backdrop of a message of unity across the region.
Xi left the speeches to others, simply declaring the largest Games in history open, having done his talking earlier in the day.
