United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board Briefing via video at the Main Press Center (MPC) of Tokyo 2020 in Tokyo, Japan, July 17, 2021. (Xinhua/Ding Xu)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has accepted an invitation to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022, said his spokesman on Thursday.

"The secretary-general received an invitation from the International Olympic Committee to attend the Beijing Winter Games and he has accepted it," said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman.

Guterres's two immediate predecessors have attended almost every Olympic Games since at least 2002 when Kofi Annan went to Salt Lake City, he noted.

"And, I mean, I'm just going back to my time (as spokesman of the UN secretary-general). There was a time before me, as well," Dujarric told a regular press briefing.