BEIJING, January 25. /TASS/. The authorities of China will organize the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in line with the schedule despite difficulties caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said on Monday following his telephone talks with President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach.

"I believe that with the support of all interested parties our country will organize the Games in line with the schedule," the Chinese Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday quoting Xi Jinping.

The IOC press service said in a statement earlier in the day that the Chinese leader and IOC President Bach "talked by telephone on Monday (25 January) and discussed the progress of preparations for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022."

"President Bach congratulated President Xi on the fact that his vision of making 300 million Chinese people familiar with winter sports through the Olympic and Paralympic Games is already becoming a reality," the statement reads. "With this, the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 will transform the global scene for winter sports."

"The two leaders also discussed the close cooperation between the IOC and Chinese authorities with regard to health matters and the measures already being taken to ensure safe and secure Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2022," according to the statement.

During the 128th IOC session in Kuala Lumpur on July 31, 2015, Beijing was elected the host city for the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games making the Chinese capital the first city ever to host both Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games (in 2008) as well as Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games (in 2022).

Beijing won the right to host the 2022 Olympics and Paralympics in a tight race over Kazakhstan’s Almaty in 2015, eventually securing 44 votes against 40 in support of the largest Kazakh city.