PHNOM PENH: His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni will travel to Beijing tomorrow to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics. The Cambodian King was invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping himself.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Zhao Lijian, said during a news conference in late January that China warmly welcomes the King of Cambodia to witness the historic event of Beijing becoming the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

He said, "Cambodia is a good neighbor to China, and has traditionally strongly supported in hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics. His Majesty the King is an old friend of the Chinese people. We warmly welcome the King and Queen to China to witness the historic occasion that Beijing will be the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics."

The Beijing Winter Olympics will begin on 4 February 2022. More than 30 heads of government will attend the opening ceremony, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The 16-day international sports event will end on 20 February 2022, with more than 3,000 athletes from more than 90 countries expected to take part.