Smooth piste for Beijing's 2022 Winter Games bid

Beijing

CHINA came of age as an Olympic power when it hosted the spectacular Beijing 2008, a display of the unlimited resources and political will some say are essential to its bid for the 2022 Winter Games.

The capital emerged as the frontrunner for 2022 - which would make it the first city ever to host both summer and winter Olympics - after a string of European cities withdrew last year citing public concerns over costs, leaving it facing off against only the Kazakh city of Almaty.