International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach praised China's remarkable progress in meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping's 2014 goal of engaging 300 million people in winter sports, noting its significant impact on the nation's well-being as well as the global Olympic movement.

Shortly after attending the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin earlier this month, Bach sat for an interview with China Media Group in Beijing, where he celebrated the strides China has made in winter sports.

He praised China's dynamic and forward-thinking approach while recalling how President Xi set the ambitious target during their meeting at the Sochi Winter Olympics.