China steps up efforts to build a leading sports nation

In July this year, China released a plan for building a leading sports nation during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030). The plan sets three targets: per capita sports venue space of about 4 square meters, a regular-exercise rate of around 40 percent, and 31.1 percent of the population meeting national fitness standards.

The country also aims to rank among the world leaders in the number of world champions, and see the total size of its sports industry exceed 7 trillion yuan (about $1.05 trillion).

"I come to the senior fitness and health center almost every day to exercise. I feel stronger and my life is more fulfilling," said 70-year-old Shanghai resident Su Junxing.

Senior fitness and health centers have opened in communities across Shanghai, putting age-appropriate exercise facilities within easy reach of older residents.

Hobbyists practice roller skating at a park in Zunhua, north China's Hebei Province, Aug. 6, 2026. (Photo by Liu Mancang/Xinhua)

"They offer a full range of services, including physical fitness tests, scientific exercise guidance, exercise interventions for chronic diseases, health education and social activities, allowing older people to exercise safely, properly and willingly," said Wang Hailong, founder of Shangti Lehuo Sports and Health Clubhouse for the Elderly. As of August 2026, more than 200 such centers had been established in Shanghai and more than 300 nationwide, recording more than 100,000 visits.

"I can take part in provincial-level competitions right outside my door," said Jiang Min, a resident of Zengdu district, Suizhou, central China's Hubei Province. In response to community fitness needs, Hubei has launched innovative fitness events across the province since 2024. As of Sept. 9, a total of 1,016 events have been held, reaching more than 1,900 rural communities and urban neighborhoods. Some 190,000 people took part directly, with 1.5 million attending as spectators.

On June 25, China's national squash team moved into its new base in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province. The facility has 22 internationally certified courts and a professional fitness and rehabilitation center, giving the team a single site for training, accommodation and recovery.

A new model for competitive sports is taking shape in China: government-led, but with a wider cast of players. Provincial governments are running national teams, cities are running university teams, and the systems that develop and test talent are steadily improving.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025), China won 665 world championships and broke 91 world records in competitive sports, with both the medal haul and the range of events covered reaching their widest yet.

This year, the "Su Super League," an amateur football tournament in east China's Jiangsu Province, has launched 106 themed cross-regional travel routes, allowing fans and tourists to explore Jiangsu around the matches.

The outdoor sports industry is gaining fresh momentum. In the past, visitors to Wawu Mountain in Sichuan would take a look, snap a photo and leave. Today, it has become a destination for outdoor sports enthusiasts, with sporting events drawing visitors throughout the year. The 2026 Village Basketball Competition there generated 23 million yuan in consumer spending, and the area received 700,000 tourist visits in the first seven months of this year.

Cultural, sports and leisure spending has grown steadily since the start of the year, with revenue at major sports enterprises climbing alongside it.

Huang Haiyan, dean of the School of Management at Beijing Sport University, said efforts should continue to promote the high-quality expansion and upgrading of the sports industry, enabling it to make greater contributions to expanding domestic demand, stabilizing growth and promoting employment, and truly making the sports industry a new vehicle for a better life and a driver of economic and social development.