Message of Beijing Paralympics is global solidarity can prevail: China Daily editorial

The curtain fell on the closing of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics on Sunday evening. Despite all the chaos and difficulties caused by the Ukraine-Russia crisis, the global Winter Games have provided the world with a glimpse of the spirit all countries should embrace for the world to enjoy a better future.

Athletes with disabilities taking part in the competitions of the Paralympics have sent a strong message that everyone can tap the potential of life to the fullest extent as long as one perseveres and never gives up.

That is the spirit the Beijing Winter Paralympics epitomized. And this spirit applies not to just those with disabilities.

And just like in the sports arenas, there is always something in world politics that can and should transcend the interests of any individual country and spur all countries to strive for a better future for all.

Just like in the sport arenas for athletes with disabilities, there should be no difficulties in international relations that the world cannot overcome if all countries rally together and make concerted global efforts to address them.

For China, which hosted the Winter Olympic Games and Paralympics for the first time, the Games have highlighted for the country and its people that the more accommodating a country is, the easier it is for it to interact with the rest of the world.

Such a spirit should prevail throughout the world.

Competition with rules for all to abide by is the way in which countries can compete with one another while still demonstrating their solidarity in the face of increasing uncertainties and challenges.

This is exactly what China and the world should learn from the Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

World leaders need to see beyond the interests of an individual country as far as the rules for global governance are concerned so that a harmonious global village can be built for all.

That is why China always calls for all parties involved in conflicts to solve their disputes and differences through negotiations. Conflict, military conflict in particular, is not the way to settle disputes and bridge differences.

That also explains why China has long maintained that multilateralism should prevail over unilateralism and economic globalization triumph over trade protectionism.

It is never too late to learn. And the just concluded Beijing Winter Paralympics offers important lessons for global governance.