BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong met on Friday with President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach in Beijing, the host city of the World Athletics Championships which will open here on Saturday.

The Vice Premier extended gratitude to the IOC and its full membership for trust in China as the Chinese capital Beijing was awarded the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Kuala Lumpur in July.

Liu said China would be strictly in compliance with IOC rules, in particular following the guidance of the Olympic Agenda 2020 to present a fantastic, extraordinary and excellent Winter Olympics in the seven years to come.

Bach congratulated Beijing on winning the right to host the Games, and expressed his confidence about the successful delivery of the Games.

The 15th World Athletics Championships kicks off in the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium and runs through to Aug. 30. According to the organizers, about 1,900 athletes will compete here and most of 570,000 tickets were sold.