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Speakers:

Mr. Zhou Jinqiang, vice minister of the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC)

Mr. Ding Dong, director general of the Sport for All Department of the GASC

Mr. Zhang Xin, director general of the Competitive Sports Department of the GASC

Ms. Yang Xuedong, director general of the Sports Economy Department of the GASC

Chairperson:

Ms. Shou Xiaoli, deputy director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date:

Sept. 18, 2024

Shou Xiaoli:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO), as part of the series "Promoting High-Quality Development." Today, we have invited Mr. Zhou Jinqiang, vice minister of the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC), to brief you on relevant developments and to take your questions. Also present today are Mr. Ding Dong, director general of the Sport for All Department of the GASC; Mr. Zhang Xin, director general of the Competitive Sports Department of the GASC; and Ms. Yang Xuedong, director general of the Sports Economy Department of the GASC.

Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Zhou for his introduction.

Zhou Jinqiang:

Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good morning. I am very pleased to attend today's press conference with my three colleagues. First, on behalf of the GASC, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude and sincere respect to the journalists who have long supported the development of our sports industry.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), we have earnestly studied Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, along with General Secretary Xi Jinping's important remarks on sports, and a series of key directives. We have diligently implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, actively applied the new development philosophy, and coordinated efforts to advance the high-quality development of sports. Fitness has now flourished nationwide, competitive sports have achieved remarkable success, youth sports are vibrant, and the sports industry is growing rapidly. These efforts have ushered in a new phase in building China into a leading sports nation.

First, services for national fitness are meeting the new demands of the people. We adhere to the principle of putting people first and have made great efforts to address the public's fitness challenges. The national fitness system and the policy framework have been gradually improved, alleviating the issue of "where to exercise" to some extent. Nationwide, fitness activities have been widely promoted, the fitness network has been increasingly refined, and fitness facilities have been rapidly improved. A wave of enthusiasm for national fitness has swept across the country, playing a significant role in meeting the people's growing desire for a better life. The proportion of Chinese people who regularly engage in physical exercise has reached 37.2%. By the end of 2023, the per capita area of sports facilities reached 2.89 square meters, surpassing the standard of 2.6 square meters set in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) ahead of schedule.

Second, the achievements in competitive sports highlight our new image as a great country. We have aligned with the requirements for building a sports powerhouse, worked to refine the national system for competitive sports, and continuously enhanced our capacity to bring glory to the country. The overall strength and international influence of our competitive sports have been steadily growing. From 2012 to 2023, Chinese athletes won a total of 1,244 world championships and broke 161 world records. At the recently concluded Paris Olympics, our athletes secured 40 gold medals, 27 silver medals and 24 bronze medals, marking China's best performance in an overseas competition since our participation in the Summer Olympics in 1984. This accomplishment firmly places us among the world's leading sports powerhouses and strongest Olympic nations. Our athletes have reached new heights on the international sports stage and in global competitions, fostering patriotism and uplifting national spirit through the power of sports. They have presented a refreshed image of China in the new era and showcased the tremendous achievements of our socialist modernization to the world.

Third, youth sports have injected new vitality into talent development. We have fully leveraged the critical role of sports in promoting holistic human development, actively deepened the integration of sports and education, and stimulated the motivation and dynamism of youth sports development, striving to improve the health of young people. We have promoted the integrated development of sports schools, regular schools and youth clubs, leading to an increasingly diverse range of youth sports events. Both the youth event and youth training systems are continuously being improved, providing a more solid foundation for cultivating the talent reserve. Through activities such as the "Happy Run, Passionate Youth" National Youth Sunshine Sports Conference, we aim to set a leading example, encouraging more children to run, jump and be active. With a focus on common physical issues among young people, such as obesity, poor eyesight and scoliosis, we have widely implemented initiatives for promoting science-based fitness and health interventions among them.

Fourth, new driving forces have been forged as the sports industry develops. We have insisted on expanding consumption and continued to promote the rapid development of the sports industry, consistently releasing market potential and significantly improving its position and function in the national economy. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China's sports industry has significantly expanded in scale and added value. Its growth has outpaced the country's overall GDP growth rate for the same period, accounting for an increasing share of annual GDP. From 2012 to 2022, the annual average growth of the sports industry's added value reached 15.4%, with its proportion of annual GDP increasing from 0.6% to 1.08%. In 2023, China's imports and exports of the main sports service trade reached 52.89 billion yuan, up 178% from the previous year. Currently, China has established a sports industry system led by competitive events, performances, leisure and fitness and complemented by sports venue services, athletic training, and sports-related manufacturing and media.

China's sports sector has achieved significant progress, but it's still at a critical juncture, transforming scale into strength while facing many challenges. Weaknesses remain in public fitness service capacity and the development of football, basketball and volleyball. The third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee made clear arrangements for deepening all-round reform in the sports sector, providing direction and momentum for enhancing national athletic prowess. Recently, General Secretary Xi Jinping met with the Chinese delegation to the 33rd Summer Olympic Games, praising the athletes' achievements and spirit while calling for humility, prudence and persistent efforts to build on the country's sporting prowess. We will continue to empower high-quality sports development through reform and innovation, fulfilling new responsibilities and making new efforts to deepen all-round sports reform, aiming to build China into a sports powerhouse.

That's all for now. My colleagues and I are now ready to take your questions.

Shou Xiaoli:

The floor is now open for questions.

Xinhua News Agency:

The Chinese sports delegation's remarkable performance at the Paris Olympics electrified and inspired the nation. Now, expectations are high for further reforms to boost the country's overall competitive sports prowess. The third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee decided to reform and improve the management systems and operating mechanisms for competitive sports. What are the direction and objectives of this reform? How will you implement this strategy?

Zhou Jinqiang:

Thank you for your questions. The Chinese sports delegation achieved remarkable results at the Paris Olympics, making breakthroughs in various aspects. This marked a solid step forward in our journey to become a sports powerhouse. This success has boosted our confidence in accelerating the development of China as a strong sporting nation and strengthened our resolve to deepen reforms in competitive sports.

The third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee set clear requirements for reforming competitive sport management systems and operating mechanisms, charting the course for deeper reforms in the field. Our general reform approach is to uphold openness and cooperation to boost competitive sports. We will deepen the combination of the system for mobilizing nationwide resources and market mechanisms, paying more attention to leveraging the role of the market mechanisms. Our aim is to quickly form management systems and operating mechanisms for competitive sports that engage the government, society, the market and individuals, achieving openness, common benefits and full vitality.

The concrete measures involve three aspects: First, setting high standards. We will focus more on leveraging the comprehensive value and unique functions of competitive sports, emulating world sports powerhouses. While strengthening advantageous sports, we will emphasize improving basic major sports (track and field, swimming and water sports) as well as football, basketball and volleyball. The high-quality development and excellent achievements of competitive sports are expected to boost the rapid development of public sports, youth sports and the sports industry. Second, implementing high-level leadership. We will study and formulate plans for achieving Olympic glory in the new era, further enhance top-level design, establish a more systematic and refined policy system to better facilitate the high-quality development of competitive sports, and elevate governance capabilities and standards in the field. Third, maintaining highly efficient coordination. We will coordinate efforts across summer and winter sports, balance focus between advantageous and disadvantageous sports, and harmonize strategies for the eastern and western regions. We will implement category-based management according to the distinctive features of different sports. Suitable sports will be professionalized. Social forces will be mobilized to promote emerging sports. We will further optimize resource allocation, sports structure, distribution and regional development patterns to encourage coordinated and balanced development in competitive sports nationwide. Thank you.

Nanfang Daily:

Sports related to popular competitive events have seen surging interest, with sports venues in many areas fully booked and tennis courts nearly impossible to reserve. What steps will you take to meet the public's growing demand for sports spending? Thank you.

Zhou Jinqiang:

Thank you for your question. I'll ask Ms. Yang from the Sports Economy Department to respond.

Yang Xuedong:

Thank you for your question. As the economy and society have developed in recent years, particularly since Fitness-for-All became a national strategy, public enthusiasm for sports participation and spending has soared. Sports consumption loyalty has strengthened, with more people engaging in various activities. We've made significant efforts to meet people's aspirations for a better life, and Mr. Zhou has just briefed you on the achievements in promoting public sports participation. However, imbalances and inadequacies persist, as evidenced by the difficulty in booking tennis courts, which you mentioned, reflecting the mismatch between supply and demand. Looking ahead, we will focus on improving supply in three areas to meet consumer demand.

First, we will enhance the supply of venues and facilities. On one hand, we will fully leverage the leading, motivational and demonstrative role of central government budget investments, while widely mobilizing social resources to increase sports facility construction. We will also expand free or low-cost access to public sports venues to facilitate public participation. On the other hand, we will promote smart upgrades of sports venues, encourage off-peak usage among the public, and fully utilize new technologies to increase facility utilization rates.

Second, we will increase the supply of sports products. In manufacturing, we'll accelerate the application of new technologies and materials in sports goods, promote industry transformation and upgrades, develop smart equipment and intelligent venues, and integrate more smart technologies into products and consumer scenarios. In services, we'll increase sports event offerings and provide multi-level, diverse, and personalized sports services to better meet public needs.

Finally, we will roll out more policy measures. We'll further strengthen communication and coordination with the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Culture and Tourism. We'll formulate and implement policies for upgrading sports products and developing high-quality outdoor sports destinations. We'll continue to address policy bottlenecks and challenges to optimize the development environment and stimulate market vitality. Thank you.

The Poster News APP:

In recent years, issues like myopia, obesity, and poor posture among Chinese youth have drawn ongoing social attention. How can we leverage sports to improve their health? Thank you.

Zhou Jinqiang:

I'll invite Mr. Zhang from the Competitive Sports Department to answer this question.

Zhang Xin:

Thank you for your question. The healthy growth of young people is crucial to national development and our future. In recent years, the General Administration of Sport has earnestly implemented the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, consistently upholding the "health first" education principle and intensifying efforts to harness sports' unique role in promoting youth well-being.

On the one hand, we've promoted youth sports activities through themed, demonstrative events. Since 2021, the General Administration of Sport has collaborated with multiple departments to implement the "Run, Youth" themed fitness activity. This initiative engages all youth in sports competitions, sports culture education, health assessments, and skill demonstrations. With over 120 million young participants, it has made a wide-reaching societal impact. In August this year, we held a national youth sports event in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, where over 2,000 young people from across the country participated in activities like football, basketball, volleyball, martial arts, roller skating, jump rope, and rock climbing. Olympic champion Pan Zhanle and other athletes encouraged youth to build their bodies and challenge themselves through physical exercise in sports venues and outdoors, sparking renewed passion for sports among teenagers. In summary, we're making multifaceted efforts to help young people understand, learn, love and enjoy sports, using sports' power to safeguard their health and well-being.

In addition, following the principle of promoting scientifically-backed physical exercises, the GASC has intensified efforts to improve the physical well-being of young people. Addressing issues such as myopia, obesity, scoliosis and mental health among youth, the GASC has sought public input and enlisted experts to develop exercise guidelines and intervention strategies. A series of books has been compiled to promote fitness knowledge, along with exercises designed to prevent myopia and improve spinal health. The GASC has also created sports games and curricula on physical activity and health, continuing to offer scientifically supported exercise programs for youth. Meanwhile, the GASC has established an online platform to disseminate health-related information among youngsters and regularly launched related animated video broadcasts and expert livestreaming events, which have attracted over 345 million views to date.

That covers everything for now. Thank you.

China Daily:

Chinese athletes excelled at the recently concluded 2024 Paris Olympics. Similarly, many ordinary Chinese fitness enthusiasts also look forward to having platforms to showcase their abilities. What plans does the GASC have for launching and promoting more local sporting competitions that are accessible to the public? What progress has been made so far? Thank you.

Zhou Jinqiang:

Thank you. Mr. Ding will answer your questions.

Ding Dong:

Thank you for your questions. Competitions and sporting events serve as catalysts to promote public fitness. In recent years, the GASC has implemented comprehensive policies and taken multiple measures. The main efforts are as follows:

First, mass sports events at the National Games, the National Fitness Competition, and community-based athletic contests are spearheading efforts to provide public fitness programs. In accordance with the goal of promoting widespread participation in the National Games and ensuring their benefits reach all, the 15th National Games in 2025 will feature 23 categories and 166 events in mass sports. Currently, qualifying events are being held nationwide, allowing fitness enthusiasts to showcase their progress. This year, embracing the concept of providing a national competitive platform for the public and making competitions accessible to all, the GASC took an innovative approach by launching the inaugural National Fitness Competition. The event comprises seven competition zones and aims to create a nationwide public fitness contest that people can choose, join, organize and benefit from. Our goal is to promote a growing sense of fulfillment and well-being among participants.

Second, the GASC is launching themed public fitness programs throughout the year in chronological order while enhancing brand building. These programs have included New Year's Day mountain climbing activities, a Spring Festival-themed public fitness initiative, and a Grand Canal-themed brisk walking program in May. In June, public fitness initiatives commemorated Chairman Mao Zedong's slogan, "Promoting physical culture and sports; strengthening the people's physique," followed by National Fitness Day in August and the Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival in September. The year will conclude with a Chongyang Festival-themed fitness program for aged people in October and the National Public Ice and Snow Season in December. Notably, during this year's inaugural nationwide Spring Festival-themed public fitness initiative, cities across the country incorporated public fitness activities into their overall festive celebrations. Incomplete statistics show that more than 7,200 public competitions were held during the Spring Festival holiday this year, with more than 10 million people participating directly.

Third, the GASC is intensifying efforts to promote and popularize football, basketball, volleyball and ice and snow sports activities nationwide. The GASC has enhanced its support, promotion and development of popular mass sports programs, such as the Village Super League, the Village Basketball League, and the Village Volleyball League. It has further consolidated and expanded the achievement of engaging 300 million people in winter sports, leveraged the leading and demonstrative role of themed events such as the National Public Ice and Snow Season, and helped the public to learn and master winter sports. Additionally, the GASC has enhanced collaboration between online and in-person initiatives. The online public fitness games, already successfully held twice, launched its third edition this year. In 2023, 22.6 million people participated directly in this online event, with over 17 million participation certificates issued.

Moving forward, the GASC will continue to motivate and mobilize the support of Party committees and governments at all levels. It aims to further diversify mass sports offerings, improve related systemic arrangements, enhance event safety and regulation, and continuously boost public enthusiasm for participation.

This concludes my response. Thank you.

Cover News:

In recent years, an increasing number of people are engaging in fitness and workout activities. What measures has the GASC taken to meet the growing demand for fitness? Thank you.

Zhou Jinqiang:

Mr. Ding will also address this question.

Ding Dong:

Thank you for your question. As you mentioned, there has been a growing awareness of physical fitness in recent years. Simultaneously, people are increasingly concerned about the quality of fitness activities, focusing on factors such as convenient venues, friendly environment, the scientific basis of training methods and progress tracking. We believe that people's primary concerns in this field revolve around whether they can exercise, whether they understand how to exercise and how they can exercise properly. The GASC has proactively collaborated with governments at all levels and relevant departments to implement various measures to address people's concerns.

First, fitness-for-all venues and facilities have been built to ensure people have somewhere they can exercise. We introduced a series of policies and standards to accelerate the construction of sports parks, public fitness centers, fitness walking paths, public football pitches, public skating rinks, and other public fitness facilities. During the 14th Five-Year-Plan period, the GASC worked with relevant departments, and supported local governments to carry out 17,000 fitness facility projects with a total of 2.3 billion yuan. Sports venues are encouraged to open to the public for free or at a low fee. By the end of 2023, the area of sports fields per capita reached 2.89 square meters, and the total length of fitness walking paths nationwide exceeded 371,000 kilometers, which has effectively facilitated the public to participate in physical exercise.

Second, fitness-for-all information has been offered to guide people in how to exercise correctly. In recent years, a range of fitness guidance campaigns have been initiated across the country, such as grassroots fitness instructions, fitness lectures and national physical fitness tests. Fitness knowledge and directions have been brought into schools, rural areas, communities and enterprises. We actively researched popular fitness methods, produced simple and easy fitness short videos and programs, and released science popularization works on sports safety to the public. We have also carried out fitness-for-all volunteer service activities for three years, and selected 313 excellent cases throughout the country. As more volunteers and organizations have taken part in the fitness-for-all services, the overall capability of fitness-for-all volunteer services have been improved significantly.

Third, fitness-for-all competitions and activities have been organized to ensure people can exercise well. At present, mass events of the National Games, the national fitness-for-all competition, and community games have become very popular, and eight nationwide fitness-for-all activities have been held annually, including New Year's climbing events and Fitness-for-All Day. In addition, a number of mass sports events sponsored by various social sports organizations on football, basketball, volleyball and winter sports have been widely promoted to provide more platforms for the public to showcase their fitness achievements. Thank you.

Science and Technology Daily:

A large amount of advanced sports equipment created in China shone at the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Could you briefly introduce this topic? Thank you.

Zhou Jinqiang:

Thank you. I would like to invite Ms. Yang to answer your question.

Yang Xuedong:

Thank you for your question. As an important part of the sports industry, the sporting goods and equipment sector accounts for half of the entire industry. In recent years, we have vigorously boosted the transformation and upgrading of the sporting goods and equipment sector, and advanced the innovation capabilities of sporting goods manufacturing enterprises. Two batches of specialized and sophisticated enterprises that produce new and unique products as well as single-product specialists in the manufacturing industry have been released for the sports industry. So far, the number of these two kinds of enterprises has reached 80 and 15, respectively. The quality and influence of Chinese sports products has constantly been advanced.

At the just concluded Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Chinese athletes achieved successes in both sports competition and sportsmanship, realizing the goal of achieving the best possible athletic results at the event. Innovative products made by Chinese enterprises also stood out at the Games. For example, the colored table tennis tables and the Chinese-made barbells impressed the global audiences. In terms of new technology applications, the "bullet time" multi-camera replay system, deployed at the beach volleyball, tennis, judo and other venues, provided viewers with cinematic effects like freeze-frame views for the first time in a summer Olympics. In terms of new material utilization, the Chinese team's bicycles used in the track cycling events were made from T1100 carbon fiber. The weight of each bicycle frame was only 1,150 grams, which is among the lightest for similar products anywhere in the world. In terms of new concept implementation, the floors in the 3x3 basketball and table tennis venues were made from recyclable rubber, demonstrating an environmentally friendly approach featuring green and low-carbon development. The appearance of these products in the international arena has further enhanced the image of Chinese sports enterprises, showcasing the country's sci-tech innovation and manufacturing capabilities, and reflecting China's determination to drive the industrial chain development toward medium and high-end.

Our next steps will be to focus on both the government and the market. On the government side, we will continue to improve policies. We will work with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) to formulate and issue policy documents to promote the high-quality development of the sporting goods manufacturing sector and optimize the business environment. On the market side, we will continue building brands, creating a number of high-end "intelligent manufacturing in China" brands in the sports sector, cultivating more world-class sports companies, accelerating the transformation and upgrading of sporting goods manufacturing, and further increasing international competitiveness.

This is all that I have to share with you. Thank you.

CCTV:

The 2024 Paris Olympics led to increased interest in physical fitness and exercise across the country, also promoting a surge in sports-related consumer spending. In light of the relevant measures introduced to capitalize on this sports economy, could you brief us on the relevant progress and specific developments? Thank you.

Zhou Jinqiang:

I will take this question. Sports events have a huge driving effect on the sports economy. In accordance with the unified directives of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we have partnered with the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) on two initiatives: "bringing sports events into scenic spots, neighborhoods, and business districts" and "traveling with sports events." These two initiatives have generated widespread enthusiasm across society and the tourism market, achieving positive social outcomes. Now is the middle of the year, and the overall figures have not yet been counted, but I can share two examples. First, the Olympic Qualifier Series Shanghai held in May this year attracted 45,000 domestic and international spectators, generating 643 million yuan in direct economic returns and 1.402 billion yuan in indirect benefits. Second, from January to August, Fujian province hosted 542 similar events, with 2.48 million participants, driving 3.685 billion yuan in various types of consumption, a 21% year-on-year increase. In July, to better implement these two initiatives, we worked with the MCT to release a 2024 summer national outdoor sports event catalog for the "traveling with sports events" initiative. This combines summer leisure activities with the excitement of the 2024 Paris Olympics, continuously unlocking consumption potential.

The driving effect of the 2024 Paris Olympics on the sports industry is also  significant, which can be summarized as the three "mores." First, niche sports have become more popular. Sports like BMX, street dance, rock climbing, breakdancing, and tennis have attracted considerable attention. According to statistics, in July, tennis-related group purchases on the e-commerce platform Meituan increased by 172%. Second, the ways people watch sports have become more innovative. In addition to traditional TV and new media outlets, people are now watching live events in cinemas, creating a more immersive atmosphere and more engagement. During the Paris Olympics, we received much feedback about this trend, suggesting it could be a promising development trend in the future. Finally, the economic impact has been more pronounced. Data from platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou show that during the Olympics this year, sales of viewing-related items, such as alcoholic beverages, food and digital home appliances, more than doubled compared to the previous year. This is a brief overview of the recent developments.

Looking ahead, we will focus on three areas. First, we will fully leverage policy measures. We will introduce more policies to maximize benefits, develop regulations related to sports events, address bottlenecks, and further enrich the scenarios for sports event consumption. Second, we will make good use of sports initiatives. We will continue to work with relevant departments to promote the "traveling with sports events" and "bringing sports events into scenic spots, neighborhoods, and business districts" initiatives, as mentioned just now, to enhance their impact. Third, we will strengthen publicity efforts. We will summarize and promote successful experiences and practices from various places in developing the sports event economy and boosting sports consumption. We've already issued the first batch of practical cases for the sports event economy, and a second batch is in preparation to further guide its development. Thank you.

National Business Daily:

We've noticed a rapid growth in demand for youth sport training. How do you plan to further guide and regulate services in this sector? Thank you.

Zhou Jinqiang:

Thank you. I will invite Mr. Zhang to answer this question.

Zhang Xin:

Thank you for your question. Youth sports training institutions are vital platforms for teenagers to participate in physical exercise, learn sports skills and improve their competitive abilities. In recent years, these institutions have developed rapidly, growing in number and offering diverse, innovative content to meet the growing demand for sports training among teenagers. Statistics show that there are now over 30,000 youth sports training institutions in China. Managing and effectively utilizing these institutions is a significant challenge for us.

To address this, the GASC has issued documents such as the "Code of Conduct for Extracurricular Sports Training" and "Opinions on Further Standardizing and Developing Sports Training," establishing an initial regulatory policy framework. We've guided local sports administrations to introduce standards for sports training institutions, implement regulatory responsibilities at various levels, and establish working mechanisms. At present, some localities have developed effective practices in providing guidance and services, standardizing personnel qualifications, and improving regulatory mechanisms. These include creating databases of training institutions and "white lists" of employees, conducting training credit evaluations and unified personnel training, developing a regulatory information database and implementing a dynamic management system for training institutions. By continually regulating the youth sports training industry, we aim to foster a healthy and orderly environment, ensuring parents can enroll their children with confidence and children can learn with enjoyment. Thank you all.

Jinan Times app:

Convenient access to physical exercise is an issue of great concern to the public. Many regions now have numerous well-equipped sports facilities. Given this, how is the GASC working to ensure these public sports venues are accessible to the community at large? Thank you.

Zhou Jinqiang:

I'll invite Mr. Ding to answer this question.

Ding Dong:

Thank you for your question. Public sports venues are crucial for national fitness activities, and their accessibility greatly impacts the public's ability to engage in physical exercise. The GASC places high importance on maximizing public access to these facilities. We actively work with relevant departments to improve the utilization rate and service quality of public sports venues.

Specifically, we have refined the allocation of central government funds and expanded the scope of support for public sports venues. The subsidy criteria now consider factors such as the number of eligible venues in each region, the open area for fitness activities, and annual visitor numbers, rather than just seating capacity. The subsidy now includes popular, eligible small- and medium-sized venues and national fitness centers, not just large venues. Funds can be used for hosting non-profit sports events, sports training, daily maintenance, equipment upgrades, and improving venue information technology services.

Concerning venue services, we've formulated supporting policies and documents relating to basic public service standards for public sports venues and guidelines for evaluating free or low-cost open services. These policies outline specific requirements for venue accessibility and service content, stipulating that low-fee pricing should generally not exceed 70% of local market rates. More preferential services are mandated for the elderly, disabled individuals, students, military personnel, and firefighters, as well as for non-profit community sports events. The standard fees for these groups are typically required to be no more than half the market price.

To enhance supervision and evaluation, we've guided localities to strengthen supervision and evaluation in areas such as hosting sports events and training programs, supporting school sports programs, and providing facilities for non-profit sports organizations. We require annual  publication of venue usage data on the National Fitness Information Service Platform for public scrutiny. At the same time, we commission third-party agencies to conduct annual inspections and evaluations of venue operations across the country.

Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, we have allocated about 1 billion yuan annually to support public sports venues opening to the public for free or at reduced prices. The number of subsidized venues has increased from over 1,000 per year to more than 3,000 now. According to statistics, 3,050 eligible public sports venues are open to the public for free or at low cost in 2024, covering nearly 1,600 county-level administrative areas. The core areas of these venues that are free or low-cost cover over 25 million square meters. We estimate that more than 500 million people will benefit from this initiative.

That's all from me. Thank you.

The Beijing News:

With the conclusion of the Paris Olympics, a new Olympic cycle has begun. What's the outlook for China's participation in the Los Angeles Olympics? What are your expectations for China's performance? Thank you.

Zhou Jinqiang:

We will have Mr. Zhang answer this question.

Zhang Xin:

Thank you for your question. The 34th Summer Olympic Games will be held in Los Angeles, United States, in 2028. After the Paris Olympics, we face a series of new challenges based on the analysis of global competitive sports in the new cycle and changes in the Los Angeles Olympics' program.

Competitive sports always face challenges, and China's competitive sports boldly meet these head-on. We will thoroughly study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech when meeting with China's Olympic delegation for the Paris Games. We'll improve scientific training methods, build on our strengths while addressing weaknesses, accelerate talent development, and make high-quality preparations for the Los Angeles Olympics. On the one hand, we'll firmly consolidate our country's strong performance in advantageous sports to compete for gold and medals. On the other hand, we'll make great efforts to tap potential in basic events like track and field and swimming, as well as emerging and combat sports. Simultaneously, we'll speed up the revitalization of basketball, volleyball, and soccer, continuously improving China's competitiveness and influence on the world competitive sports stage.

We are convinced that with the care and attention of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, as well as the strong support of the Chinese people, as long as we make strenuous efforts, carry forward China's sporting spirit, unite and work hard, and courageously strive for the best while continuing to scale new heights, we are sure to continue to demonstrate the demeanor of Chinese athletes at the Los Angeles Olympic Games. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

One last question, please.

China Financial and Economic News:

In recent years, the outdoor sports industry has attracted wide attention. What measures will be taken in the next step to further develop this industry? Thank you.

Zhou Jinqiang:

Thank you for your questions. We will have Ms. Yang to answer this question.

Yang Xuedong:

Thank you for your question. The outdoor sports industry is a green industry and an effective way to practice General Secretary Xi Jinping's concepts that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" and "ice and snow are also invaluable assets." The third plenary session of the 20th Party Central Committee proposed accelerating the improvement of the institutions and mechanisms for applying the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. Last month, the Party Central Committee and State Council issued opinions on ramping up the green transition in all areas of economic and social development, providing systematic plans. These have created rare opportunities for the outdoor sports industry's development. Next, we will seize these opportunities and focus on three main aspects to further promote high-quality development in the outdoor sports industry.

Regarding government services optimization, we'll continue improving policies for the outdoor sports industry. We'll work with the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments to implement the Development Plan for the Outdoor Sports Industry (2022-2025) and the Action Plan for Advancing Infrastructure Construction and Service Improvement for Outdoor Sports (2023-2025). We'll accelerate research on measures to further promote the industry's development, such as policies to use winter sports to drive the ice-and-snow economy, and develop high-quality outdoor sports destinations. We'll continuously optimize the development environment to advance high-quality growth in the outdoor sports industry.

In terms of strengthening market supply, we'll continue to enhance the construction of outdoor sports venues and facilities. We'll fully mobilize social forces, coordinate various funding channels, encourage social capital investment, and advance the construction of outdoor venues and facilities such as mountain camps, aviation flight camps, road trip sports camps, sports boat docks and ski resorts. This will further consolidate the foundation for outdoor sports development.

To promote social demand, we'll continue to diversify the supply of outdoor sports products and services. Last October, we held the first China Outdoor Sports Industry Conference in Dali, Yunnan Province, leading new trends in outdoor sports. Last week, we held the launch ceremony for the 2024 China Outdoor Sports Industry Conference. We'll gather industry resources, improve supply-demand matching platforms, and further diversify outdoor sports products and services. We hope you'll pay more attention to and support these efforts.

That's all from me. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Thanks to Mr. Zhou and all the speakers. Thanks for the participation of friends from the media. Today's briefing is hereby concluded. See you.

Translated and edited by Liu Caiyi, Wang Wei, Liu Sitong, Zhang Rui, Zhang Jiaqi, Ma Yujia, Zhu Bochen, Lin Liyao, Wang Qian, Yan Bin, Liu Qiang, Zhang Tingting, Li Huiru, Xu Kailin, Yuan Fang, David Ball, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.