Sports director of China: Sports industry key to economic development

The growth of the sports industry in China will continue to play a key role in the country's economic and social development, said Gao Zhidan, director of China's General Administration of Sport, at the Ministers' Corridor after the closing meeting of the second session of the 14th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday.

Winter sports went through a boom in China in 2023, and it has been a part of the country's prospering sports industry for over 10 years. According to Gao, the sports industry has grown by 15.4 percent per year since 2012. Its total value reached 3.3 trillion yuan (about $459.3 billion) in 2022, with an increase of 1.3 trillion yuan (about $180.9 billion).

Gao believed that the growth of the sports industry has been promoting Chinese economic development in three ways. First, in recent years, more and more cities have been holding various sports events and activities to improve their images and stimulate economic development.

"The attention of these events translated into driving forces of consumption as well as figures of economic growth," Gao said. China hosted the 31st Summer World University Games in Chengdu, the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, the first Student (Youth) Games of China in Nanning and the 14th National Winter Games in Hulunbuir in the past year. Consumption generated by sports and other industries in these four cities surpassed 130 billion yuan (about $18.1 billion).

Second, China has been working on combining the growth of the sports industry with that of other industries to generate new development patterns. "When sports events entered the countryside and business communities in cities, they 'set the stage' for cultural and tourist events to 'perform' on," Gao said. The comprehensive development of sports, culture, tourist and commercial industries became an important part of rural rejuvenation and economic recovery in many parts of China.

2024 is an Olympic year. The 33rd edition of the Summer Olympic Games will take place in the French capital, Paris, from July 26 to August 11. Gao pointed out that a series of sports events that involve people from all walks of life were launched across China last year.

"Non-governmental sports events like the Village Super League and the Village Basketball Association received tremendous attention from none-sports circles," Gao said. "More table tennis events were held in parks and communities, enriching people's access to sports instruments."

In his eyes, these developments mean that China is on its way to growing into a major sports power.

Admitting that there are still flaws and problems in sports development that the country needs to fix, Gao said to solve these issues, China will continue to stick to the ultimate purpose of serving the people, prioritize achieving high quality, as well as promote reforms and innovation in sports development.

(Cover photo: Gao Zhidan, director of China's General Administration of Sport, answers questions at the Ministers' Corridor after the closing meeting of the second session of the 14th National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 11, 2024. /CFP)