Beijing

Tara Geraghty-Moats, from the U.S., soars through the air during a trial round at the Gundersen Nordic combined jumping event at the FIS Nordic Ski World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, on Feb. 27, 2021.

Nordic combined remains the only Winter Olympic sport women can't compete in

6:47am February 05, 2022

by Jaclyn Diaz

Organizers of the Beijing Olympics are touting greater gender equity at this year's Games, but Nordic combined remains the only event not open to women.

A firework display is seen during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on Friday.

The Winter Games have begun. See photos and highlights from the opening ceremony

11:58am February 04, 2022

The Winter Games kicked off Friday night in Beijing with an eye-catching but scaled-back opening ceremony. The city has made history as the first to host both the Summer and Winter Games.

Wang Jianzhi, who runs a blade sharpening shop in Beijing, has no plans to watch the Games: "Where should I get the time to watch Olympic figure skating?"

World News

How the Winter Olympics are being received in China

11:25am February 04, 2022

by Emily Feng

Despite a campaign from China to increase enthusiasm for winter sports, many in the country are indifferent to the Games and excitement is more muted than in 2008.

At the Main Media Center, the central hub for press, volunteers offered passersby the opportunity to paint calligraphy onto traditional New Year couplets.

Chinese hosts share the Lunar New Year with Olympic athletes, personnel and media

2:58am February 01, 2022

by Jaclyn Diaz

Chinese Lunar New Year is being celebrated even within the tightly controlled Beijing Winter Olympics bubble.

The Yanqing Winter Olympic Village in Beijing is just one of the many "closed loop" locations that will isolate athletes, staff and the limited number of spectators.

China's Olympics aim to keep COVID at bay with armpit sensors, robots and more

3:49pm January 22, 2022

Athletes and other attendees will be in a closed "loop" with strict rules about everything from daily testing for athletes to how spectators should respond — no cheering out loud, please!

Queue Listen Now

A volunteer receives daily necessities on behalf of residents under home quarantine in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 12, 2022.

China is doubling down on its 'zero-tolerance' COVID policy ahead of the Olympics

3:13am January 13, 2022

by The Associated Press

China is battling coronavirus outbreaks in six cities. More than 20 million people are in some form of lockdown.

World News

The events that led to Hong Kong's pivotal elections

2:33am December 18, 2021

by The Associated Press

Demands for expanded democracy in the semi-autonomous territory inspired protest movements that were largely ignored by Beijing and crushed by security forces.

A community worker delivers daily necessities to a household during quarantine conditions in the southwestern Chinese city of Ruili. Residents have taken to social media to complain about what they describe as harsh lockdown measures brought on by China's

Health & Safety

One Chinese town has started a fiery online debate about China's zero-COVID policy

2:56pm November 05, 2021

by Emily Feng

Citizens in Ruili are complaining about lengthy lockdowns and terrible conditions in quarantine centers. Others in China don't want to hear about it.

Unvaccinated people who arrive in China for the Beijing Olympcs will face isolation in a mandatory three-week quarantine. Here, a room is seen in the athletes village in Zhangjiakou, China.

Sports

If Beijing Olympics athletes aren't vaccinated, they'll be in quarantine for 21 days

10:28am October 25, 2021

by Bill Chappell

The policy announced Monday threatens a "hard quarantine" that is longer than the Games themselves for anyone who arrives unvaccinated.

Beijing Winter Olympics Will Allow Spectators — But Only From Mainland China

4:49pm September 29, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

The International Olympic Committee says having fans present will create a favorable atmosphere at the games. Spectators will have to meet COVID-19 requirements, but those have not yet been outlined.