Abstract. Due to the Olympic Games, China has been able to increase the scale of the “one community” in the fight against the global problems of mankind. Positive media coverage of the 2008 and 2022 Olympics, euphonious feedback from participants and observers strengthened the reputation of the state as a reliable and hospitable host that ensured the safety of observation and athletes. The purpose of this article is to study the Olympic Games as a tool of “soft power” for the formation of a positive image of the country. On the rise of the media discourse around the holding of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, it was shown how one can talk about one’s socio-economic achievements, the national image and the increase in the international authority of the state. The results of the study show that China was able to change the media discourse to a more desirable one for the image of the country during the 2022 Olympic Games. The opening ceremony of the 2022 Olympics was the culmination of a ceremony to celebrate China’s technological, socio-economic and cultural achievements. The reactions of the international community to the 2022 Winter Olympics can be described as positive. China’s handling of the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID+19 pandemic during the Olympics was highlighted. The successful use of resources and careful prepartion for the Olympics has allowed China to enhance its image in the international arena. The experience of China has become an important question of how the host countries of the Olympics can use the media communication opportunities that come from it.
Key words: Olympic Games, image of the country, Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, symbols of the 2022 Games, image of China.
10.56429/2414-4894-2023-43-1-55-71