China's Xi meets International Olympic Commission's president in Beijing

BEIJING :China's President Xi Jinping met International Olympic Commission (IOC) President Thomas Bach in Beijing on Tuesday afternoon, just over a week before the Winter Games are due to kick off on Feb. 4 within a "closed-loop" bubble.

Bach arrived in Beijing on Saturday and then entered a three day isolation period. He met Xi at a state guesthouse, according to a report from state media.

At the meeting they talked about COVID-19 countermeasures and Bach told Xi that "China is now a winter sports country, and this is the start of a new era for global winter sports," according to a readout on the IOC website.

"The two leaders discussed the strong support of the international community for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022," it said.

The United States and many of its allies, including Britain, Canada, Australia, Japan and Denmark, have said they will not send official diplomatic delegations to the Games in protest at China's rights record.

(Reporting by Gabriel Crossley; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)