With the world watching, Beijing hosted a spectacular opening ceremony inside the National Stadium on Friday. Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed world leaders and athletes from 91 nations. The ceremony was held on the first day of spring, according to the Chinese calendar, a theme reflected in white and green fireworks. It included the traditional parade of nations, performances from three-thousand people, pyrotechnics and the Olympic flame placed inside a giant snowflake.

Joining the discussion:

• Josef Gregory Mahoney is a professor of politics and international relations at East China Normal University.
• Mike Bako is a sports editor with DailyNational.com
• Peter Koveos is a journalist who’s covered several Olympic Games.
• Wang Dong is an anchor with CGTN Sports Scene in Beijing.

For more:

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will include a record 109 events over 15 disciplines and 7 sports. Here's your guide to each and every venue for the Beijing 2022 games, broken down by Olympic zone.#CGTNAmericahttps://t.co/jplM5zt6Zr

— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) February 4, 2022

Chinese President #XiJinping on Friday said his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin will inject more vitality into China-Russia relations. Xi held talks with Putin in Beijing ahead of the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. https://t.co/OBudwAccCY

— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) February 4, 2022