China requests support from Japan for Beijing 2022 Games, International Paralympic Committee welcomes decision to restrict spectators to residents of China

By Barrier Free Japan with extracts from Kyodo & the IPC Website

October 1 2021

BEIJING – China asked Thursday for the cooperation of Japan, the host of this summer’s Tokyo Olympics, to run the Beijing Games safely, a day after a decision was made that no spectators from overseas can attend them amid the pandemic.

“Japan has just successfully hosted the Tokyo Olympics” without spectators at almost all venues, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. “China gave strong support to the Tokyo Olympics, so we hope we will receive the understanding and support of Japan.”

On Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee unveiled a basic slate of preventive steps against the spread of the novel coronavirus at the Beijing Games set to start next February, including a ban on all spectators except residents of mainland China.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) welcomed the decision to allow for the sale of tickets to spectators residing in China’s mainland and will be sold exclusively to spectators residing in China’s mainland, who meet the requirements of the COVID-19 countermeasures, namely that “all athletes and Games participants who are fully vaccinated will enter the closed-loop management system upon arrival. Games participants who are not fully vaccinated will have to serve a 21-day quarantine upon arrival in Beijing.”