Few countries in modern Olympic history have won more medals at the Winter Games than at the Summer Games, and Austria is one of them. The Alps traverse the country from west to east, nurturing Austrians’ natural love for winter sports. In a recent exclusive interview with Global Times (GT) reporters Lin Xiaoyi and Cui Fandi, Austrian ambassador to China, Andreas Riecken (Riecken) said that at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the world, China offers an opportunity for athletes from all countries to come together and celebrate this great sporting event, and he looks forward to see further deepened cooperation between Austria and China through the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, and the development of ice and snow sports.