On February 4, the Winter Olympics opened in Beijing, with delegates from 23 countries in attendance. Five Central Asian state officials were among those who arrived after China pledged a $500 million donation. In an attempt to persuade the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to attend the Games, Beijing offered lucrative economic deals.  In a video conference on Jan. 25, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to import more of their products and provide 50 million COVID-19 vaccine shots to Central Asian countries. Xi also announced that China would provide $500 million and train 5,000 people in various businesses over the next three years, as well as provide 1,200 scholarships over the next five years. According to the UK Independent, Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the Games’ opening ceremony to offer his support, despite being caught on camera … Continue reading Xi Jinping Incentivized World Leaders to Attend the Winter Olympics.