BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway attended the 2018 China-Norway Friendly Roller Ski Event at the Olympic Green on Monday. King Harald noted that he saw great potential in sporting cooperation between China and Norway and expressed his expectations for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The Norwegian royal couple watched a roller ski friendly between two teams comprised of athletes from Chinese and Norwegian cross-country ski teams.
"If you want to get close to a Norwegian's heart, you should talk about winter sports. It's in our country's nature to love sports," King Harald said.
The royal couple were accompanied by Gou Zhongwen, director of the State General Administration of Sports and executive president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and Zhang Jiandong, vice mayor of Beijing and vice executive president of the Beijing Organizing Committee.
"I can see it now," Queen Sonja told Xinhua when asked about China's growing winter sports culture.
"You can build indoor venues. We also do that in Norway because there is not always snow. You have the possibilities," Queen Sonja added, sharing the Norwegian experience on cultivating a sporting culture.
Since last May, when China and Norway signed an action plan on sporting exchange activities, the two countries have unveiled a series of cooperative measures. Over 100 Chinese athletes in the fields of cross-country skiing, biathlon and ski jumping have received training in Norway, and there are Norwegian table tennis players training in China.
"I think it will be a very good cooperation in the sports area," King Harald affirmed.
This is the royal couple's fourth visit to China, having visited most recently in 2008, when Beijing held the 29th Summer Olympic Games. Standing in front of the Bird's Nest, the main stadium for the 2008 Olympics, King Harald and Queen Sonja reminisced over the Games.
"It was so well-organized, so beautiful. We were so impressed by everything here," Queen Sonja said.
"The Summer Games you held were fantastic. We were glad enough to be there. With the experience you had, I'm sure you will have a very good Winter Games," King Harald said.
