China has unveiled a blueprint to build a leading sports nation by 2035, setting targets to boost public fitness, expand the sports industry and enhance elite athletic performance.
The blueprint, approved by the State Council, was issued by China's General Administration of Sport, covering the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
The plan follows the national planning template, spanning 11 sections across three pillars, including general introduction, key tasks and safeguards.
The blueprint lays out strategic measures for the 2026‑2030 period, detailing priorities from national fitness and elite sports to youth training, team ball games, industry growth, culture, exchanges, education, science, talent, anti‑doping, law and safety.
"This plan is of a relatively high level. For the first time, a sports plan has been included in the national-level sector-specific plans, which fully demonstrates the great importance the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council attach to sports work, and also reflects the important role of building a leading sports nation in the overall effort to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects," said Wei Zhenyong, deputy director of the Department of Policies, Laws and Regulations of the General Administration of Sport of China.
The plan sets out comprehensive arrangements for high-quality sports development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, with five key indicators.
Under the plan, by 2030, China aims to increase per capita sports venue space to about four square meters, raise the proportion of residents who exercise regularly to around 40 percent, and boost the share of the population with a good level of physical fitness to 31.1 percent.
The plan also calls for China to remain among the world's leading nations in the number of world titles won, while expanding the sports industry's total value to more than seven trillion yuan (1.03 trillion U.S. dollars).
In addition, the plan proposes eight special initiatives, focusing on the construction of public sports venues and facilities, the layout of sports events, the upgrading of training bases, the cultivation of reserve talent for key sports, the upgrading of the outdoor sports industry, innovation in sports science and technology, the development of sports professionals, and anti-doping efforts.
China releases blueprint for building leading sports nation by 2035
The European Union (EU) on Saturday urged Israel to reopen all Gaza border crossings to allow immediate, unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance and early recovery support at scale.
In a statement published by the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU reiterated its grave concern over the persistent and devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It said the severe flooding and winter conditions impacting the enclave are further aggravating the living conditions of an already exhausted population, exacerbating unsafe conditions and human suffering.
The statement noted that a year after the ceasefire was announced, military strikes continue and shortages of essential items persist due to restricted access, resulting in the absence of acceptable and dignified living conditions.
The EU urged Israel to enable the work of the United Nations and its agencies, and humanitarian organizations, including non-governmental organizations, and to comply with all its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
The bloc underlined the need to respect international law, including international humanitarian law, at all times, particularly the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as medical personnel and facilities. It described the recent airstrike on Nasser Hospital as "deeply alarming."
Reaffirming its commitment to the two-state solution, the EU called on all actors to fully implement the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2803 without delay, in line with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and international political and legal principles, in particular the permanent decommissioning of weapons from Hamas and other non-state armed groups, the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the civilian transition in Gaza.
The statement stressed that Hamas should not have any role in the future governance of Gaza.
On Nov. 7, Gaza's civil defense authorities declared a state of maximum emergency as a rainstorm flooded around 70,000 tents housing displaced Palestinians and overwhelmed rescue services.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, about 1.4 million Palestinians, or 65 percent of Gaza's population, were living in tents or makeshift shelters. It warned that humanitarian shelter stocks inside Gaza were virtually exhausted, while more than 150,000 tents remained outside the territory awaiting entry. However, Israel says it restricts certain materials over concerns that Hamas could use them for military purposes.
EU urges Israel to reopen all Gaza crossings, allow unimpeded humanitarian aid
