The Road to Becoming a Sports Powerhouse — The Value and Inspiration of Xi Jinping's Important Discourses on Sports (Part 2)
Chapter 2 - Composing a Harmonious Symphony: The Core Ideas in Xi Jinping's Important Discourses on Sports
In today’s piece, we are briefing you on the Chapter 2 of our report, “The Road to Becoming a Sports Powerhouse — The Value and Inspiration of Xi Jinping's Important Discourses on Sports.” We would love to answer any questions you might have so make sure to drop a like, comment, and subscribe for more!
Theoretical innovation precedes development and transformation. Considering the grand strategy of nation-building and national rejuvenation, Xi Jinping has provided a top-level design for the significant relationships and fundamental issues of Chinese sports in the new era. He has elucidated the functional positioning, basic guidelines, objectives, tasks, and practical requirements for developing sports under socialism with Chinese characteristics. Through these insights, he has proposed a series of new ideas, thoughts, and strategies, forming Xi Jinping's important discourses on sports. These discourses are a vital component of Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and represent the latest theoretical achievements of how the CPC guides sports work with the "two integrations": integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and fine traditional culture. They serve as the fundamental guideline and action plan for the reform and development of sports in the new era.
Sports are a highly advanced human activity that permeates society and profoundly impacts people's lives. As humanity progresses from dispersion to aggregation, sports have become a global field connecting different regions, races, and cultures, integrating society, culture, economy, and politics.
From the humanities and social sciences perspective, Xi Jinping's important discourses on sports form a comprehensive, scientific, and complete theoretical system encompassing sociology, political science, economics, anthropology, and other disciplines. The underlying logic is the assertion that "Sports are a symbol of social development and human progress, a reflection of composite national strength and the level of social civilization." This integrates the construction of a sports powerhouse into the grand system of nation-building, aiming to make sports a symbol of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The core essence involves building a sports powerhouse to shape "complete personality" at the individual level, develop a "creative society" at
the social level, cultivate a "confident nation" at the national level, promote "Chinese wisdom" at the civilizational level, and construct a "colorful world" at the international level. In summary, it uses the power of sports to build an integrated "5C system" (complete personality, creative society, confident nation, Chinese wisdom, colorful world), thereby advancing Chinese modernization, building a strong nation, and achieving national rejuvenation.
The "5C system," which supports building China into a great modern socialist country, forms the basic framework of Xi Jinping's important discourses on sports. The cultural foundation of this framework is the people-centered and harmonious coexistence philosophy inherent in China's excellent traditional culture. This signifies that China's construction of a sports powerhouse in the new era aims to achieve the harmonious coexistence and joint growth of all key elements of modern civilization: individuals, society, the nation, civilization, and the international community. This is the sports microcosm of Chinese modernization.
1. Complete Personality: Promoting Comprehensive Human Development
As part of overall education, sports play a crucial role in developing individuals psychologically, physically, morally, spiritually, and socially. Sports cultivate a healthy body and a well- rounded personality, promoting both biological and social development and playing a vital role in transitioning from the biological to the social dimension of human existence.
In February 2014, while visiting Nanluoguxiang Lane in Beijing, Xi Jinping recalled his childhood experiences of ice skating on the frozen lake of Shichahai after school. His lifelong passion for ice skating and football, along with his continued practice of swimming and mountain climbing during his working years, gave him a profound understanding of the significance of sports in personal growth. He once stated, “A well-rounded person needs to have both rich knowledge and cultural substance and a healthy spirit and strong body,”emphasizing the importance of continuously improving people's physical health through sports development.
Under Xi Jinping's direct planning and deployment, "meeting people's fitness needs and promoting comprehensive human development" has become the starting point and ultimate goal of China's sports work in the new era. From the slogan "Develop physical culture and sport, and strengthen the physique of the people" written by Mao Zedong to the goal of "meeting people's fitness needs and promoting comprehensive human development" in the new era, the evolving view of sports in China reflects the nation's tremendous transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong.
Focus on “Everyone”: Achieving National Health through National Fitness, Leading to Moderate Prosperity
Modernization ultimately boils down to the modernization of the people, with health being the most important indicator. In Xi Jinping's view, the health, physical fitness, and happiness of the people are interconnected, forming an essential part of moderate prosperity and modernization.
In Xi Jinping's important discourses on sports, public fitness and national health for all are frequently mentioned. He pointed out that“national fitness is the foundation and guarantee for all people to enhance their physique and live healthy lives”and “prosperity for all is impossible without health for all.”He emphasized“giving strategic priority to ensuring the people's health,”“making all-round efforts to ensure people's health throughout their entire life cycle,”“promoting the deep integration of national fitness and national health,”and“achieving national health through national fitness, leading to moderate prosperity.”
Chinese modernization is the modernization of a large population and common prosperity for all. In the sports field, this means that the sports cause in the new era is a nationwide endeavor that everyone participates in and enjoys. The implementation of the national fitness strategy and the advancement of a Healthy China benefit all people. Over 1.4 billion people in China, regardless of region, ethnicity, occupation, or gender, build and share a higher level of public service system for national fitness.
When the largest developing country, which accounts for nearly one- fifth of the world's population, embraces modern sports and enjoys a sound sports service system and public health level, it will completely rewrite the global sports development landscape, achieving an unprecedented miracle in human civilization.
Caring for "Youth": The Healthy Growth of Young People Determines the Sustainable Development of the Chinese Nation
In the 19th century, British philosopher Herbert Spencer proposed in Education: Intellectual, Moral, and Physical that education is preparation for future life. Xi Jinping is very concerned about the sports education and healthy development of young people. He earnestly said, "I am very concerned about and value the growth of young people because you are the future and hope of the country. Without the healthy growth of young people, the country has no long-term development."
Xi Jinping's high regard for youth sports work is based on the strategic vision of "If the youth are strong, the country will be strong" and his accurate grasp of the laws of sports and youth development. He believes that "youth is the golden period for improving health quality" and proposed to "promote youth physical exercise as an important way to enhance their physical and mental health." He repeatedly visited schools and young people, encouraging them to enjoy the fun of sports, enhance their physique, develop a sound personality, and temper their will through physical exercise, becoming builders and successors to the cause of socialism with sound moral grounding, intellectual ability, physical vigor, aesthetic sensibility, and work skills. "Health is the foundation for all success in life; children should strengthen their physical exercise," "more sports can reduce the number of 'chubby kids' and 'little glasses'," "the more children participate in sports and exercise, the less chance they be come overweight or have vision problems," and "excel in studies and also strengthen the body." These sincere and plain words embody the life wisdom of a loving elder and carry the earnest expectations of a leader of a great nation.
Xi Jinping views promoting youth sports development as a systematic, holistic, and coordinated project. He reshaped concepts by proposing to "establish the concept of prioritizing health in education and ensuring ample physical education classes," emphasizing that the concept of "a strong youth" has many aspects, including not only moral character, academic performance, innovation ability, and practical skills, but also physical health and strength, and sports spirit. He pointed out the path of constructing a big pattern of family- school- society integration to cultivate strong youth physiques, promoting the healthy growth of young people through the deep integration of sports and education. From sunny faces on playgrounds to fighting spirits in arenas, more and more "post- 00s" and "post- 10s" in China are falling in love with sports, bringing new vitality to the youth sports cause in the new era.
2. Creative Society: Adding Momentum to Economic and Social Development
Since the 20th century, sports phenomena have extended into various social fields and become increasingly complex. Theories in sports sociology suggest that, on an inward dimension, sports can promote individual development and the socialization process. On an outward dimension, sports are closely linked with other social fields and phenomena, influenced by the broader social environment while also impacting political, economic, and cultural subsystems.
Xi Jinping, through comprehensive, systematic, and dialectical thinking, has examined the role of sports within the broader social system under various perspectives such as sports and politics, sports and economy, and sports and culture. He emphasizes the social function of sports in "adding momentum to and pooling strength for economic and social development." He advocates for integrating sports work into the national development strategy and the broader framework of economic and social development, actively promoting sports reform and development, and building a vibrant and orderly society.
The Power of Institutions: Stimulating Innovation Through a New National System
"The new system for mobilizing resources nationwide" is one of Xi Jinping's key governance concepts. Besides technological innovation, Xi Jinping also highlights sports as a crucial area for leveraging the advantages of this new national system.
The traditional national system has been instrumental in the rapid development of competitive sports in New China. As the socialist market economy system continuously improves and market, social, and family forces rise, the traditional national system must also evolve. In September 2019, when meeting representatives of the Chinese women's volleyball team, Xi emphasized: "Persist in combining the national system with market mechanisms, stay true to the original aspiration, and continuously strive to open up new horizons for China's sports development in the new era." In the sports field, creating a new national system involves inheriting the advantages of the traditional system while fully utilizing the market mechanism's crucial role in sports development. This is achieved through the coordinated operation and organic integration of government leadership, social autonomy, and market independence. This approach stimulates innovative vitality among various sectors, optimizes the allocation of economic and social resources across all fields, and gathers collective wisdom and strength to promote high-quality sports development in the new era.
The CPC's leadership is the fundamental experience driving the development of
Chinese sports. The new national system is an upgrade of the previous national system, reflecting the governance wisdom of the Chinese Communists, which emphasizes both an active government and an effective market. It harnesses the institutional advantage of socialism in concentrating efforts to accomplish significant tasks while leveraging the market mechanism's competitive advantage in resource allocation. This new mechanism avoids the drawbacks of over-reliance on government, which can stifle social vitality, and addresses the challenges of hierarchical, network, and market governance failures in increasingly complex environments.
The Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games have showcased both the "China speed" of completing all venues a year ahead of schedule under the new national system and the "China technology" of using aerospace wind tunnel laboratories for athlete training. Along with Chinese star athletes like Gu Ailing and Su Yiming, this grand event is a concrete manifestation of a "vibrant China" and a vivid practice in exploring the establishment of the new national system.
The Power of Industry: Cultivating New Drivers for Economic Transformation with a "Three-in-One" Development Framework
Unlike traditional societies where sports primarily existed as political or cultural products, sports are increasingly embedded in the economic system in modern society. On one hand, sports can promote the physical and mental health of workers and improve the quality of human resources. On the other hand, sports have become a crucial component of the modern economy, with their economic value growing in significance in various countries' GDPs.
Xi Jinping places great importance on the economic function of sports, proposing that sports are "an important driver for promoting economic and social development." Under his new development concept, mass sports, competitive sports, the sports industry, and sports culture have developed more harmoniously and balanced. Serving rural revitalization, driving industrial upgrades, unleashing employment potential, cultivating new quality workers, and addressing population aging... the sports industry in the new era is integrating into the national development framework with unprecedented depth, breadth, and speed.
Notably, Xi Jinping proposed "promoting the coordinated development of mass sports, competitive sports, and the sports industry," constructing a "three-in-one" development framework for becoming a sports power. He has given the Chinese sports industry a new positioning as a "sunrise industry with a promising future" and set the goal of becoming a pillar industry of the national economy by 2035. As China enters a new era, the Chinese sports goods manufacturing sector is accelerating its upgrade, the outdoor sports industry is booming, and the economic impact of sports events is significant. New professions like e-sports athletes and athletic trainer are becoming new blue oceans for employment, and new business models like "sports + tourism," "sports + culture," and "sports + business districts" are becoming new engines for consumption and economic growth. The sports industry, characterized by high growth and sustainability, shows immense potential in driving economic transformation and promoting high-quality development.
3. Confident Nation: Providing Strong Spiritual Strength for the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation
American political scientist and historian Benedict Anderson referred to nations as "imagined communities." As a shared ritual and activity, sports can awaken collective memory, strengthen common emotions, and build "interconnected intentions" among community members, driving the community from "imagination" to reality. Surveys on the impact of the Beijing Winter Olympics show that its successful hosting significantly boosted the public's patriotism, inclusiveness, and confidence.
Shaping National Identity and Revitalizing National Spirit
Sports enhance national confidence and pride, playing a unique role in improving national and social cohesion. For China, with its unique historical experiences, the role of sports is especially significant. In 1981, the Chinese men's volleyball team's stunning comeback win over South Korea in the Asian qualifiers thrilled Peking University students, who chanted:“Unite and revitalize China." Xi Jinping, recalling this event in 2018, emphasized the continued need for unity to realize the Chinese Dream. In 2023, Guizhou Rongjiang County's Village Super League showcased ethnic unity, with thousands from over 20 ethnic groups celebrating together, reflecting joint development in the new era.
Xi Jinping views sports as closely linked to national prosperity and rejuvenation. He stated, "Everyone's dreams, including the dream of becoming a sports powerhouse, are closely connected to the Chinese Dream." Developing sports is essential for achieving the Chinese Dream and provides strong spiritual strength for national rejuvenation. Sports inspire people nationwide to pursue excellence and transcend themselves.
Promoting the Chinese Sports Spirit and Serving National Rejuvenation
Throughout history, great nations have produced far-reaching spiritual forces during crucial periods of their rise and development. Leading China's dedication to national rejuvenation, Xi Jinping emphasizes nurturing and uplifting the nation's spirit. He once said, "A spirit is the essence upon which a people depend for their long-term survival. Only with such a spirit can a people stand firm and move boldly forward amidst the torrent of history."
The sports spirit is a microcosm of the Chinese Spirit, serving as intrinsic motivation for the nation's great rejuvenation. In August 2013, Xi Jinping emphasized the Chinese sports spirit's core values: "winning glory for the country, selfless dedication, scientific pragmatism, abiding by the law, solidarity and teamwork, and tenacity." These values are crucial and must be inherited, innovated, and promoted. In August 2016, he praised the positive energy and dream-achieving spirit displayed by Chinese athletes at the Rio Olympics, noting that such a spirit is needed to realize the Two Centenary Goals and the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.
In the new era, the Chinese sports spirit includes core values such as "winning glory for the country, selfless dedication, scientific pragmatism, law-abiding behavior, teamwork, and tenacious struggle," the spirit of the women's volleyball team, and the spirit of the Beijing Winter Olympics. This spirit transcends sports, embodying the deepest spiritual pursuits of the Chinese nation and reflecting Chinese cosmology, life views, and values. It injects continuous spiritual strength into building a strong nation and achieving national rejuvenation, creating a sense of "being one family" among Chinese people at home and abroad.
Cultivating Chinese Sports Culture and Strengthening Cultural Confidence
Cultural confidence is the most fundamental, deep, and enduring force in a nation's development. In Xi Jinping's governance strategy, cultural advancement is given a prominent position. As a crucial part of social culture, sports culture advancement has also been elevated to new heights. The newly revised Sports Law promotes the Chinese sports spirit and cultivates Chinese sports culture.
Rooted locally and facing the world, Chinese sports culture continues to grow in the new era. The Chinese sports spirit is becoming more ingrained in people's hearts, sports project cultures are becoming more diverse, and traditional sports projects are reviving. This growth is evident in young people practicing ancient Chinese exercises like Baduanjin, the fashion trend of national sports brands, and cultural elements showcased at events like the Chengdu Universiade.
Xi Jinping has emphasized the need to strengthen cultural confidence and promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. Traditional sports culture is stepping onto a broader stage, with Wushu included as a medal sport in the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games and Tai Chi listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. These living heritages of Chinese culture abroad embody Chinese aesthetics and wisdom.
4. Chinese Wisdom: People-Oriented, Harmonious Coexistence
Some scholars believe that traditional Chinese society's social structure is a continuum of family- nation- world centered around the self. This concept has evolved from a social structure to a spiritual framework, deeply influencing modern China's political imagination and social construction, including in sports.
The "5C system," supporting the building of a strong country, consists of "Complete Personality,""Creative Society,""Confident Nation,""Chinese Wisdom," and "Colorful World," forming a concentric continuum. The center of these concentric circles is the people- oriented concept, indicating that individual- society- nation-civilization-world elements coexist harmoniously and grow synchronously.
People-Oriented: Adhering to the People-Centered Philosophy
During Xi Jinping's state visit to France in March 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron presented him with a copy of the original French version of "An Introduction to The Analects of Confucius," published in 1688. This gift commemorates the historic introduction of Chinese philosophy to Europe, showcasing a new governance landscape based on ethics, morality, and the spirit of "benevolence, gentleness, honesty, and humanity."
Chinese philosopher Lou Yulie believes that traditional Chinese culture's most distinctive feature is its humanistic spirit, with the people-oriented concept at its core. China's governance in the new era continues this tradition, with the people- centered philosophy becoming central to Xi Jinping's governance. In building a sports powerhouse, he proposed: "We must adhere to the people-centered philosophy, making the people the main body of sports development, and taking meeting the people's fitness needs and promoting their overall development as the starting point and goal of sports work." Ultimately, the "5C system" aims for the health and happiness of the people, continuously meeting their aspirations for a better life.
Harmonious Coexistence: Building a Harmonious and Cooperative Big
Family In January 2020, the IOC confirmed the inclusion of Wushu in the Dakar Youth Olympic Games, marking its first appearance as an official Olympic event. This inclusion demonstrates Wushu's underlying philosophy of harmony, gaining broader recognition worldwide. In China, the character for martial arts, "武" (wǔ), signifies "to stop conflict," reflecting the cultural ideal of promoting peace and harmony.
Building a sports powerhouse in the new era inherits the harmonious philosophy of traditional Chinese culture. Shaping a "complete personality" involves physical and interpersonal harmony; developing a "creative society" emphasizes coordinated development among government, society, and market; cultivating a "confident nation" aims to inspire unity among all ethnic groups; promoting "Chinese wisdom" leverages traditional Chinese culture for global sports development; constructing a "colorful world" uses sports for international exchanges, building a harmonious world through cultural exchanges, mutual learning, and coexistence.
The "5C system" sees the relationship between individual and nation, society and nation, and nationalism and internationalism as mutually inclusive and reinforcing. Individuals and the nation, society and the nation grow synchronously, and national spirit and internationalism achieve a high degree of unity.
5. Colorful World: Promoting Exchange and Mutual Learning Between Chinese Civilization and World Civilizations
Sports, as a universal language, transcend race, nationality and ideology, acting as a bridge between different cultures and civilizations. As China actively integrates in to the international community and takes a central role on the global stage, sports have emerged as a vital medium for expressing values and fostering civilizational exchange and mutual learning.
Head-of-state Diplomacy Conveying Friendship and Goodwill to the World
An avid sports enthusiast, Xi Jinping uses sports diplomacy to deepen state relations and enhance people-to-people connections. Notable moments include his praise for Dutch football legend Vander Sar and his selfie with Argentine football star Sergio Aguero, which attracted widespread attention online. Xi Jinping is the first Chinese head of state to attend a major international sports event abroad and the first to visit the IOC headquarters. His presence at international events, such as cheering for athletes with foreign leaders and exchanging Olympic torches with French President Emmanuel Macron in May 2024, exemplifies his approach to using sports as a diplomatic tool. Through these interactions, Xi Jinping has conveyed China's friendship and goodwill, showcased its openness and vitality, and enhanced global understanding and support for China.
Sports Cultural Exchanges Injecting Vitality into Major Power Diplomacy
Xi Jinping emphasizes the role of sports in cross- cultural exchange, integrating sports into Sino-foreign cultural exchanges. Under his leadership, sports have become a key component of bilateral and multilateral cultural cooperation. Initiatives such as the "Belt and Road" marathon series, fighting championships, and various sports invitational tournaments play a crucial role in promoting exchanges. Following Xi Jinping's call for building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future, sports exchanges between China and ASEAN countries have intensified, with events like cycling, marathons, and badminton fostering friendly relations. These sports exchanges enhance mutual friendship and take international relations to new heights by promoting connectivity and cooperation.
Sports Events Promoting Civilizational Exchange and Mutual Learning
Xi Jinping's speech at UNESCO in Paris ten years ago highlighted the importance of diversity, equality, and inclusiveness in civilizations. He posits that exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations drive human progress and global peace. Major international sports events hosted by China, such as the Nanjing Youth Olympics, Beijing World Athletics Championships, Beijing Winter Olympics, Chengdu Universiade, and Hangzhou Asian Games, serve as platforms for cultural exchange and integration. These events promote the integration of Eastern and Western civilizations, foster global solidarity, and contribute to world peace and development. They also provide opportunities for China to share its achievements and cultural values with the world, deepening international understanding and friendship.
The "Sports Expression" of the Concept of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind
Xi Jinping's vision of a community with a shared future for mankind has been described by Peter Thomson, former president of the UN General Assembly, as "the only future for humanity on this planet." This vision aims to build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world characterized by peace, security, and common prosperity. It is operationalized through initiatives such as the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative.
The Beijing Winter Olympics embodied this concept with the theme "Together for a Shared Future," illustrating sports' potential as a vehicle for implementing this vision. Sports, with its inherent inclusiveness and ability to transcend ideologies, aligns with universal values shared by humanity. On a practical level, sports facilitate inclusive development, international security cooperation, and civilizational exchanges, contributing to the goals of a community with a shared future.
As global sports development faces unprecedented changes, greater exchange, cooperation, and dialogue are needed. China's approach to integrating sports into its vision of a shared future will inject powerful momentum into advancing human civilization and creating a new form of global civilization for all.
Chapter 3&4: To be Continued…