BEIJING -- The Beijing Winter Olympics officially began on Friday, marking an international milestone for China in the shadow of COVID-19 and a U.S.-led diplomatic boycott.
The ceremony was held at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium in the capital, with Chinese President Xi Jinping declaring the Games open. Due to the government's strict pandemic controls, only limited invited spectators were in attendance, with the rest of the country and world left to watch the spectacle on TV.
