Warnings about air pollution, government snooping and the environmental impact of a Games which relies almost entirely on man-made snow add to the mix
China has been keen to stress that Beijing will take its place in Olympic history, becoming the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Games.
Image: Noel Celis / AFP
A Winter Olympics overshadowed by diplomatic boycotts and concerns about human rights, Covid and the safety of Peng Shuai begins next Friday in a vast "bubble" in the Chinese capital Beijing.
Warnings about air pollution, government snooping and the environmental impact of a Games which relies almost entirely on man-made snow add to the mix.
Adopting the catchphrase "Together for a shared future" for the Games, China, its ruling Communist Party and the International Olympic Committee hope all those worries will be forgotten once the action gets going on February 4.