'UN Secy Gen Guterres to attend Beijing Olympics'

Beijing: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will attend the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, Siddharth Chatterjee, the UN Resident Coordinator in China said as he expressed UN support for China hosting the event.

The Beijing Winter Olympic will be held from February 4 to 20 next year followed by the Paralympics Winter Games from March 4-13, 2022.

Beijing which held the Summer Olympics in 2008 is the only city to have hosted both winter and summer Olympics.

I am delighted that my boss, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, has accepted an invitation from the International Olympic Committee to attend the Beijing Winter Games. I echo his wise words, when he said that the Olympic spirit brings out humanity's best: Teamwork and solidarity. Talent. Tolerance, Chatterjee told Chinese official media on Tuesday. Guterres' presence is regarded as significant as the US, the UK, Canada and Australia have said they will not send government representatives to the February games.