China aims to achieve leading sporting nation status by 2030

China will strengthen civility at sporting events, foster a healthier culture among fans and continue tackling toxic "fan circle" culture in sports to create a cleaner public opinion environment, Gao Zhidan, minister of the General Administration of Sport of China, said on Thursday.

"We must make a determined effort to improve conduct across the sector and ensure that sports are filled with sunshine and positive energy," Gao said.

Gao made the remarks at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing as part of the "Embarking on the 15th Five-Year Plan" series, outlining plans for building China into a leading sporting nation during the 2026-30 period.

Sports are closely linked to people's health and well-being and are also an important part of China's broader national development, Gao said. Over the next five years, the country will promote the coordinated development of public fitness, competitive sports, youth sports, the sports industry, sports culture and sector governance.

Meanwhile, authorities will step up efforts to address unhealthy fan culture, online violence and other misconduct in sports, while strengthening integrity and governance across the sector.

The General Administration of Sport will continue its campaign to tackle problems including fraud, match manipulation and violence at sporting events, while improving regulations and the sports integrity system, and advancing anti-corruption efforts.

Reviewing the progress during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Gao said China had made new advances in sports development, with public participation in fitness activities growing and the Chinese delegation achieving its best-ever results at an overseas Olympic Games at the Paris Olympics.

Mass sporting events such as city and village football leagues have also gained popularity, while winter sports and the sports event economy have developed rapidly, he said.

In public fitness, China aims to further improve its public service system, with per capita sports venue space reaching about 4 square meters and the proportion of people who regularly exercise rising to around 40 percent by 2030.

During the next five years, the country plans to build or renovate more than 5,000 small and micro sports parks, community fitness centers, multifunctional sports grounds and public skating venues.

Chen Xingnian, director of the General Administration of Sport's department of mass sports, said the new round of the national fitness plan would focus on making services more targeted, broader in reach, smarter, more integrated and better regulated.

In competitive sports, China will shift toward more comprehensive development centered on the "633"framework, covering six traditional strengths — diving, gymnastics, weightlifting, shooting, table tennis and badminton — as well as athletics, swimming and water sports, and basketball, volleyball and football.

"The revitalization of the three major ball sports is an expectation of the people and a key focus of our work," Gao said.

China will strive to remain among the world's leading sporting nations in terms of world championship titles and seek further success at major international events, including the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 and the 2030 Winter Olympic Games in the French Alps.

China has also set a target of expanding its sports industry to more than 7 trillion yuan ($1.04 trillion) by 2030.

Yang Xuedong, director of the administration's department of sports economy, said efforts would focus on improving the quality and accessibility of sporting events, developing 100 high-quality outdoor sports destinations and accelerating the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual sports, smart venues and wearable devices.

China will also further integrate sports and education, improve talent development systems for young athletes and increase grassroots sporting opportunities, particularly in remote areas.

liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn