(MENAFN) Chinese President Xi Jinping met on Sunday with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry and IOC Honorary President for Life Thomas Bach in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province in southern China.

Coventry and Bach were visiting China to attend the opening ceremony of the nation’s 15th National Games.

Xi emphasized that the Olympic spirit represents a crucial element of human civilization, embodies people's hopes for a better world, and aligns closely with China’s vision of building "a community with a shared future for humanity."

"China has always been firmly practicing, safeguarding, and promoting the Olympic spirit," Xi remarked.

He highlighted that, in recent years, China and the IOC have mutually supported each other in fostering sports development and have achieved numerous significant accomplishments together.

"Earlier this year, we gathered in Harbin for the Asian Winter Games when the city was covered in ice and snow. Today, we meet again in the warm, spring-like city of Guangzhou for the National Games. This speaks to the strong and close partnership between China and the IOC," Xi added.

The Chinese president further stated that China is prepared to expand high-level cooperation with the IOC, promote the Olympic Movement, and evolve into a leading sports nation. By doing so, China aims to offer more wisdom and resources to global sports governance and contribute further to building "a community with a shared future for humanity."

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