Prince Albert II of Monaco arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to attend Friday's opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

This is his 11th visit to China. He attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008, the opening ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014, and the IAAF World Championships in Beijing in 2015.

The prince, a former professional winter sports athlete, has attended five Winter Olympic Games.

He is a member of the International Olympic Committee, the president of the Monaco Olympic Committee, and honorary chairman of the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the world governing body of powerboating.