One of the first competitions in the 2022 Winter Olympics begins this week as the green flag drops for the race for corporate sponsors. Organizers of the Beijing Games are already inviting companies and brands to participate.

Beijing 2022 President Guo Jinlong (C), International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice President Yu Zaiqing(L) and IOC Coordination Commission Chairman Alexander Zhukov clap after they put the white snowflake into a model of snow mountain to unlock the marketing program of Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (Beijing 2022) in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 27, 2017. The marketing program for Beijing 2022 was officially launched by the organizers here on Monday. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

At the launch of the market development plan for the Winter Olympics, Beijing Municipal Party Secretary Guo Jinlong said the support of the business community will be vital to the event's success. Relevant rights acquired through sponsorship status for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Para-lympics will also carry over to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, and the 2024 Games.