The Beijing Olympic City Development Association (BODA) held a symposium themed “Olympic Legacy Promotes Olympic City Development” at the Lombardy Hall in Milan, Italy, on 8 November 2024. This coincided with the state visit to China by Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic. Liu Kan, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Milan, Raffaele Cattaneo, Undersecretary to the President of the Lombardy Region for European and International Relations, and Enrico Marcora, Councillor of the Municipality of Milan, attended and addressed the symposium. They were joined by Marco Liva, President of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) Lombardia; Giacomo Marchetti, head of Sustainability and Legacy of the Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026; Wang Kun, Deputy Secretary General of BODA; and Ding Jun, Deputy Director of the Beijing Olympic Park Central Area Management Committee. Franco B. Ascani, President of Fédération Internationale Cinéma Télévision Sportifs (FICTS), presided over the symposium and delivered a keynote speech.

In his speech, Liu Kan noted that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Italy and a key milestone in China-Italy friendship. Cooperation on sports is an important component of China-Italy relations and holds special relevance, especially driven by the Olympic Games, a premium international sporting event. After hosting two editions of the Olympic Games, Beijing has ensured that the Olympic legacy continues to serve city development by promoting the long-term utilisation of Olympic venues, disseminating the Olympic culture, advancing public fitness campaigns, boosting green city development and strengthening digital innovation and cultural exchanges. The upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 offers a great opportunity for the two sides to jointly tap the cooperation potential in the winter sports industry. Guided by the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Milano is ready to work with friends from all walks of life in Italy to expand cooperation in such fields as utilisation of the Olympic legacy, sustainable city development and sports and cultural exchanges. These endeavours are expected to take China-Italy cultural and sports cooperation to the next level and write a new chapter for our friendship.

(Liu Kan delivers a speech)

Addressing the symposium, Raffaele Cattaneo pointed out that the Olympic legacy can empower the economic and social development of Olympic cities and the surrounding areas. The Olympic Games not only encompasses various sports and events but can also bring significant economic benefits. The Olympic Games acts as an important engine of economic growth. In Italy, the sports industry is worth hundreds of billions of euros, involving tens of thousands of companies and sports organisations. Millions of people in Italy engage in sports, and the economic benefits created by the sports industry also contribute to the country’s GDP growth. The Olympic Games also plays a positive role in encouraging public participation in sports and promoting city development. Television and media help draw wide attention to the Olympic Games and foster greater participation in sports. Moreover, the art, history and natural scenery of the host city are also showcased through broadcasting, attracting tourists from around the world to the city.

(Raffaele Cattaneo speaks)

Enrico Marcora stated that hosting the Olympic Games lends a powerful impetus to a city. First, the Olympic Games teaches young people who engage in sports to respect rules. Second, it is a form of education leads people in the city to adopt a better way of life. Finally, the Olympic Games will enhance Milan’s visibility, making it the focus of global sports for several weeks during the Games.

(Enrico Marcora speaks)

Wang Kun noted that 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Italy and also the 20th anniversary of the Beijing International Sports Film Week. This year, the Organising Committee of the 20th Beijing International Sports Film Week submitted 15 outstanding works to the 42nd Milano International FICTS Fest, in hopes of presenting Chinese sports films to the world and helping more Italian and even global audiences learn more about China and Chinese sports culture. As the host of the Beijing International Sports Film Week, BODA has stayed true to the purpose of promoting the Olympic spirit, making the most of the Olympic legacy, promoting city development and delivering benefits to people. Over the years, it has organised a range of Olympic sports, culture, education and promotion activities, including the Beijing Olympic City Sports Culture Festival, the World Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo, the Olympic City Development Forum and Olympic cultural exhibitions. BODA will continue to serve as a distinct window to facilitate Beijing’s role as a centre for international exchanges, fully exploit Beijing’s unique advantages as the first city and only city in the world to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics, conduct in-depth exchanges with the FICTS and other Olympic cities, and work with them to build an international platform promoting inter-city cooperation for the sustainable development of sports, culture, education and other Olympic legacies. Moreover, BODA looks forward to cooperating with the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee to making the Games a great success.

(Wang Kun gives a speech)

In his keynote speech, Franco B. Ascani said that the Beijing 2022 Games and the Paris 2024 Olympics usher in a new era of innovation and sustainability, and Milano Cortina 2026 will move forward along this path, endowing the Winter Olympics with the hallmarks of sustainability and regional coordinated development and presenting the world a development model that respects the environment and local communities. The FICTS has 130 member countries and has been committed to promoting Olympic culture and values by virtue of images and videos. The Milano International FICTS Fest serves as a powerful vessel for carrying forward the Olympic values. There are now 20 festivals across five continents. The FICTS will continuously work with stakeholders, especially key festivals like the Beijing International Sports Film Week, to inspire and impact younger generations with sports values such as loyalty, respect and health, thereby promoting healthy lifestyles and social integration and setting the benchmark for cultural communication on a global scale.

(Franco B. Ascani delivers a keynote speech)

Marco Liva’s keynote speech illustrated how the Olympic legacy has become a catalyst for sustainable development, urban transformation and global solidarity in Milan and Cortina. The speech covered several key aspects including the impact of Olympic legacy on city development, embracing sustainability and innovation, the role of cultural heritage and sports, partnerships and international cooperation on Olympic legacy and the future path of Olympic legacy in Lombardy. As he said, through experience sharing with BODA, Lombardy can draw on Beijing’s experience in managing Olympic infrastructure and making the most of the Olympic legacy to create lasting value for communities and uphold the Olympic oath of “Unity in Diversity.”

(Marco Liva gives a speech)

Giacomo Marchetti said that the value of the Olympic legacy extends far beyond the Olympic Games itself. It is a powerful force that enriches communities and drives lasting progress, a catalyst for making cities more inclusive, sustainable and liveable, and a shared asset that units the world and fosters development on all fronts. When hosting the Winter Olympics in 2022, Beijing placed special emphasis on planning, creation and utilisation of the winter Olympic legacy in 35 fields across seven areas: sports, economy, society, culture, the environment, city development and regional development. The Games left precious Olympic legacy to the host city, achieving win-win outcomes between the Olympic Movement and city development. Describing these experiences incredibly helpful, he looked forward to strengthening cooperation with Beijing and setting a new model of cooperation and development between the two Olympic cities.

In his speech, Ding Jun shared the experience and measures for post-Games utilisation of the Beijing Olympic Park. He gave an overview of the Beijing Olympic Park Central Area and introduced the experience and practices in promoting post-Games utilisation of Olympic venues.

(Ding Jun speaks)

Claudio Arrigoni, a senior journalist of the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera and an established expert on the Paralympics, and Li Haihong, Deputy Head of the Development Research Department of BODA, also delivered remarks at the event.

(At the symposium)

During the wrap-up session of the symposium, Franco B. Ascani pledged to further the decade-long cooperation between the FICTS and BODA. The two sides are now exploring the possibility of collaboratively holding an international Olympic cultural exhibition at the Beijing Olympic Museum in 2025 and a series of activities in Milan during Milano Cortina 2026.