Teams from North America and Europe are mainstays of the Winter Olympic podium. Yet even as the US and Canada lead the way in ice hockey and Scandinavians dominate the slopes, China has established a competitive winter sports program. Across 15 disciplines and 91 events in Milano-Cortina in 2026, the Chinese fielded their largest winter team ever, featuring 126 athletes who captured a record 15 medals. 

China finished twelfth on the medal table, but its strong cultural and technological showing in Italy significantly elevated the country’s presence at the 2026 Games. Guided by the successes of the 2008 and 2022 Olympics in Beijing, China continued to execute a robust strategy in Milano-Cortina that allowed it to capitalize on a global sporting event to make gains in strategic competition.

Lessons from 2008 and 2022

Beijing is the only city to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. Moreover, Beijing played host during pivotal moments in world history. The 2008 Summer Games showed China stepping into center stage amidst a global financial crisis. In 2022, China demonstrated sophisticated coordination as it navigated a global pandemic. 

To host the Olympic Games was not an end in itself. The Chinese hosts viewed successful on- field performances and overall game delivery as political objectives. In 2008, China had Project 119, the sport ministry’s strategy to top the medal table; a “blue sky” campaign to address air pollution; and the extravagant opening ceremony celebrating “China’s rejuvenation.” Coordinated efforts, including tax breaks for the sports industry, investment in youth development programs, and a $3.9 billion investment in Olympic infrastructure, set the stage for 2022.

Even in the face of human rights protests in 2008 and diplomatic boycotts in 2022, the Chinese sports ministry and the government have consistently delivered an overarching message: not only did China finally arrive on the world stage in 2008, it has since become a preeminent geopolitical and technological power.

Chinese Technology in Milano-Cortina

In 2026, China continued to deliver this message through events held beyond its borders. 

The showcase of Chinese technology was unmistakable in Milan, whether it was inside competition venues, at the International Broadcasting Center (IBC), or around the city. Tech companies Alibaba and TCL are Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partners in the exclusive categories of cloud services and e-commerce, and consumer electronics. TCL is a partially state-owned company entering its first Olympic cycle as a member of The Olympic Partner (TOP) program. Alibaba is involved with the Chinese government as one of its “national champions.” Of the 11 TOP sponsors, these two represent the lion’s share of technology-related marketing and activations at the Olympic Games.

In addition to furnishing the Olympic Village with appliances, TCL screens and displays replayed key moments of competition and delivered “athlete moments” in arenas that sold a combined 1.3 million tickets. Behind the scenes, Alibaba’s cloud services supported the IOC’s data storage, data transfer, and AI power with a staff of around 100 employees at the IBC. Overall, Alibaba’s AI and cloud computing services helped deliver over 6,500 hours of content to 24 Media-Rights Holders (MRHs) to reach an average of 24.1 million viewers on NBC and affiliated networks. 

What fans remember most of an Olympic Games - more than any auxiliary experience, events within a host city, or the noise around organization and logistical planning - are the moments: the Opening Ceremony, overtime gold medal game-winners, iconic skating routines, and world record sprints. In Milano-Cortina, it was Chinese tech companies that delivered those moments to audiences in arenas and over the airwaves.

The Chinese Team in Italy

Fans also remember the athletes. While the Chinese have fielded decorated winter sport athletes like Yang Yang and Wang Meng before, many developed through a robust youth development program, none have reached the superstardom of media darling Eileen Gu. Nor were they US citizens developed through the US Ski and Snowboard team. 

While Gu became the most decorated freeskier of all time in Livigno at the same time as she prepared for Milan Fashion Week, her decision to represent Team China faced criticism from voices as prominent as the US Vice President. While debating her decision to represent China is outside the scope of this article, it is relevant that it was likely informed by money from the Chinese sports ministry. One week into Olympic competition, the Wall Street Journal broke that Gu and Beverly Zhu (a US-born figure skater representing Team China) were paid nearly $14 million by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports over the past three years. 

Though it is not rare for countries to recruit foreign-born athletes to compete at the Olympics, the financial incentives offered through official channels reflect the Chinese government’s commitment to extend influence through sports and popular culture. Compared to the $37,500 that the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee awards its gold medalists, Gu’s calculation may have been as simple as choosing to partner with the highest paying sponsor.

Ultimately, the rationale for subsidizing elite foreign-born athletes to compete for Team China comes from the same strategy that petitioned Russia to delay its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Sports Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics

For China, global sports have evolved from soft power into hard geopolitics. 

China’s strategy around sport is informed by a larger framework for strategic competition. It encompasses on-field performance, event delivery, and popular culture. Through the meticulous planning and execution of global sporting events domestically and abroad, China gains credibility with international partners.Heading into the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, observers should expect to see even more of a presence from China. With more sports and disciplines represented in LA than any previous Olympic Games, Team China will look to expand its success beyond traditional strongholds into new sports such as flag football and squash. 

Off the field, it will be the last year of Alibaba’s current contract as a TOP sponsor and the first Summer Olympic Games for TCL. In 2022, Alibaba recorded over $66 billion in sales to Chinese consumers from US brands. In 2024, TCL ranked second in TV sales and shipments to the US. How will these sponsors adapt to the new host, especially considering the posturing around Chinese tech in Washington? Their omnipresence in Milano-Cortina, even with the backdrop of Italy’s awkward foray into and exit from the Belt and Road Initiative, indicates a willingness to take advantage of all the opportunities presented by a stage as big as the Olympic Games, regardless of the host country.