The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, also attended the banquet. Xi Jinping, who the day before had welcomed Russia’s President Vladimir Putin as the most prominent visitor to the opening ceremony, held individual political talks with state guests who had traveled there, for example from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Egypt and Serbia.
After the unrest in Kazakhstan, Xi Jinping, speaking to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, expressed his belief that the country can maintain social stability. The official Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying that an “independent, secure, stable and prosperous Kazakhstan” is in the common interest.
Because of tensions with China and human rights abuses in the host country, the US, Canada, Britain, Australia and other countries boycotted the celebration by not sending government officials. Germany and Japan were not represented either, although they did not speak of a boycott.