BEIJING - Beijing and northern Chinese city Zhangjiakou will launch a joint bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) announced here on Tuesday afternoon.

Beijing, 2008 Summer Games host city, bids to stage the ice events while Zhangjiakou seeks hosting rights for snow sports, according to the COC.

Zhangjiakou, a city in Hebei province, is located 200km northwest of Beijing.

An intercity railway has been planned to connect the Chinese capital and Zhangjiakou. It will only take about 40 minutes to travel from Beijing to Zhangjiakou once the railway is in use. The construction is expected to start at the end of this year.