BEIJING — The organizers officially announced on Thursday that Bank of China becomes the official banking partner of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The sponsorships programs of Beijing 2022 are divided into four categories, namely official partner, official sponsor, official exclusive supplier and official supplier. As the official banking partner of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Bank of China continues its tie with the Olympics by becoming the first official partner among all categories this time.

At the signing ceremony held in the lobby of Bank of China headquarter, Chen Jining, executive president of the Organizing Committee, said that the signing of the first official partner is a milestone for the marketing program of Beijing 2022.

"Marketing program is an important guarantee for the Winter Olympic Games, and provides wide platform for the participating enterprises to speed up brand promotion and strengthen competitive advantage," Chen said.

The marketing program comprises three major parts, namely sponsorships program, licensing program and ticketing program. After the marketing program was inaugurated in February, the organizers finally selected Bank of China as its official banking partner.

Bank of China will be the licensed bank providing commercial banking and investment banking services, as well as financial products for the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the Organizing Committee, China Olympic Committee and Chinese delegation to participate in the Games.

"Bank of China will provide the highest-international-standard, the most comprehensive and reliable Winter Olympic Games financial services and supporting measures in order to promote national fitness and winter sports," said Tian Guoli, president of Bank of China.

The marketing period for the sponsoring enterprises of Beijing 2022 runs across two Olympiads (2017-2024), covering multiple international sports events administered by the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee including Pyeongchang 2018, Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024.

The rights package offered from Beijing 2022 to sponsoring enterprises includes marketing rights, hospitality rights, rights of products and services supplying and so on.