Harbin: In the evening, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam attended the Opening Ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games, which was held at the Harbin International Conference and Exhibition and Sports Centre. Over 1,270 athletes are participating in 11 winter sports disciplines at the 9th Asian Winter Games, which takes place from 7th to 14th February. This also marks the second time Harbin hosts the event, after hosting the 3rd Asian Winter Games in 1996. The arrival of His Majesty and foreign guests was welcomed by His Excellency Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, and spouse.
According to Radio Television Brunei, among the foreign guests present at the event were His Excellency Asif Ali Zardari, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan; His Excellency Sadyr Zhaparov, President of the Kyrgyz Republic; Her Excellency Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand; and His Excellency Woo Won-shik, National Assembly Speaker of the Republic of Korea. The Opening Ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games was officiated by the President of the People's Republic of China. The Opening Ceremony was also enlivened with a GALA performance under the theme 'Dream of Winter, Love among Asia", as well as a parade by the athletes.