China is seeking to expand its international reach in winter sports by staging more top-level tournaments, making full use of its state-of-the-art Winter Olympic venues, according to the country's sports chief. 

"We have to continue to build on the legacy of engaging 300 million people in winter sports in the post-Olympic era, creating more opportunities and platforms for all elite winter sports professionals," Gao Zhidan, director of the General Administration of Sport of China, said at the "Ministers' Corridor" on the sidelines of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress on Sunday. 

"We will vigorously bid for and organize high-level showpiece events and strengthen international cooperation, so as to improve our clout and stature in global winter sports," vowed Gao.

"We should explore new paths for popularizing winter sports in schools across China and provide more professional guidance and services for young enthusiasts," added Gao. 

According to a government plan, 5,000 schools across China are expected to include winter sports in their curriculum by the end of 2025.

Statistics from the General Administration of Sport of China revealed that by the beginning of 2021, China had built 654 standard ice rinks, up 317 percent compared with 2015, and 803 indoor and outdoor ski resorts, up 41 percent over the same period.

More sports venues and facilities are being built close to people's homes to promote extensive public fitness activities, according to a government work report released last year.  

The stance was again echoed by Gao, who opined that China's winter sports industry is ripe for remarkable growth. "We will continue to pool resources of local governments to introduce policies and measures to support the development of winter sports and spur domestic consumption for the industry," he said. 

"We'll strive to let the general public reap the benefits of the rapid growth of winter sports, which will in turn boost the country's economic and social development."