China’s State Council Rolls Out Mass Fitness Program to Promote Digital Transformation of Sports Industry

China’s State Council issued a circular on August 3 to push forward an extensive new five-year mass fitness program. It proposes that by 2025, the proportion of people who regularly take part in physical exercise will reach 38.5% from 37.2%, and the sports industry should see a value of 5 trillion yuan accordingly.

According to the circular, in order to promote a higher level development of national fitness, the country will start with eight major tasks, such as increasing the supply of national fitness venues and facilities, promoting fitness activities for key groups like teenagers and the elderly, and bolstering the development of the overall sports industry.

By 2035, the general public will enjoy better and more convenient physical fitness conditions, with more coverage of fitness facilities given to counties, towns, and administrative villages, and communities within a 15-minute walking radius and host an average of 2.16 sports instructors per 1,000 people.

In the coming years, over 2,000 sports parks, public fitness centers, and public stadiums will be established or expanded and more than 5,000 township national fitness venues and equipment will be installed throughout the country. Moreover, a number of mass skating rinks will be established and over 1000 public stadiums will receive digital upgrades in addition to their non-digital infrastructure.

The circular says that the sports industry should accelerate its digital transformation to encourage the cloudification of sports enterprises and the data empowerment of the whole industrial chain. In addition, a national physique monitoring and investigation system and online scientific fitness lectures should be implemented. And sports stars and other sports professionals should be encouraged to participate in fitness promotion activities.

A promotion program for youth fitness should be launched, along with sports as a measure to tackle myopia, obesity, and other health issues prevalent among the younger age groups. Meanwhile, the standards of facilities and equipment for minors calls for further improvement to ensure an hour of sports time both on and off campus on a daily basis.

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In terms of safeguard measures, the circular requires local governments at county level or above to incorporate national fitness into their economic and social development plans, and formulate and issue local national fitness plans for implementation.