---
title: 'China Taps Sports Industry as New Growth Driver'
url: 'https://thediplomaticinsight.com/china-taps-sports-industry-as-new-growth-driver/'
author: 'Monitoring Desk'
date: '2025-09-10T17:30:20+05:00'
categories:
  - 'China'
---

# China Taps Sports Industry as New Growth Driver

**Beijing (TDI):** China has identified the sports industry as a new driver of economic growth and pledged stronger government support in planning, infrastructure, and funding over the next five years.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s top economic planner, said development of the sports industry and outdoor sports would feature prominently in the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) and other sectoral strategies.

By 2030, China aims to build around 100 world-class outdoor sports destinations, equipped with comprehensive facilities capable of hosting diverse events, said Chen Jun, head of NDRC’s Department of Social Development. Central government funding, public sports lottery revenues, and private capital will be mobilized to support the sector, alongside expanded credit access for sports-related enterprises, according to Global Times.

China has already exceeded its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) goals ahead of schedule, with sports venues now covering 4.23 billion square meters and 1,547 sports parks operational nationwide. The outdoor sports industry alone is projected to surpass 3 trillion yuan ($422 billion) in market value by the end of 2025.

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Officials highlighted a consumption shift toward services such as sports tourism, fitness, and event spectatorship, in addition to traditional goods like apparel and equipment. In the first half of 2025, more than 500 sports events each generated around 30 million yuan in regional consumption, official data showed.

China’s sports equipment sector, powered by technologies such as AI, big data, and VR, also continues to grow. The country now hosts 63,000 manufacturers, with output value rising from 1.12 trillion yuan in 2015 to over 1.5 trillion yuan today, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

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Global partners are also expected to benefit. The Ministry of Commerce confirmed that the China International Import Expo has established a dedicated zone for sports goods and services, opening fresh opportunities for international companies to access the Chinese market.