The Beijing Winter Olympics were opened on Friday by Chinese President Xi Jinping in a ceremony featuring spectacular visual effects and a plea from International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach to “give peace a chance.” Xi, who along with Bach and everyone else was wearing a face mask owing to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, kicked off the Games before two young Chinese athletes, cross-country skier Dinigeer Yilamujiang and Nordic combined skier Zhao Jiawen, lit the snow-flaked formed Olympic cauldron at National Stadium. Some 2,900 athletes from 91 countries are to compete until …