China, which will host the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, has a huge sports programme for elite athletes but Feng said any talents unearthed by the campaign would be a by-product.

"The main purpose of this work is to do solid work for farmers," he said. "Of course children will develop skills and we hope to find some future athletes."

The plans form part of the "11th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development" adopted by the National Parliament earlier this month, which focuses on closing the gap between rural and urban China.

Feng said a 2001 survey of the nation's fitness showed 17.2 percent of men in rural area did not have adequate fitness, compared with 11.6 percent of labourers in urban areas.

For women, the gap was even greater, with 21.2 percent not fit enough, compared with just 8.4 percent of their urban counterparts.

Asked whether he thought the money might be better spent on education and medical care, Feng said: "This is not something we cooked up at home. We have been to the farmers and asked what they need.

"I think physical health is a top priority. Man is the most precious thing and the most precious thing for man is health.

"Only by having a strong and healthy body can you enjoy the other things in life. Someone lying on a hospital bed cannot enjoy any of the wonderful things of life."