Fireworks at Beijing 2022 opening ceremony

[ASFN Admin]

The colorful ceremony marked the start of an Olympics whose preparations were beset by the COVID-19 pandemic and criticism over human rights in China.Friday's ceremony in a partially-filled Bird's Nest stadium - the scene of Beijing's triumphant 2008 Summer Games launch - was filled with imagery of ice and snow, with Xi's declaration followed by red-suited "skaters" sliding across virtual ice.China's hosting of the Winter Games has drawn criticism since the International Olympic Committee selected Beijing in 2015, and countries including the United States, Britain and Australia staged diplomatic boycotts, meaning they did not send government representatives to the Games.

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