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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — The electric hum of a virtual race track filled the air as crowds gathered around simulators at the recently concluded 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing. Among them was Xue Mei, who had just stepped out of the racing simulator, her hands still feeling a slight tingle from controlling the virtual steering wheel.
"It's not like a video game, it's almost like real car driving. It's like real Formula One racing," she said.
The glowing response highlights the huge commercial potential of China’s sports industry. Ricky Kuo, CEO of a Malaysian-Chinese joint venture that runs sim racing events, cited eSports racing as a particularly promising opportunity in the country.
“China’s massive combined market of 1.4 billion people has unprecedented economies of scale,” he said, adding that the company is partnering with a Chinese state-owned enterprise to launch national racing competitions in 20 cities next year. In addition to the competitions, the company plans to open e-sports racing-themed stores in shopping malls in major Chinese cities.
As Chinese consumers become more affluent and health-conscious, demand for sports experiences is growing rapidly – not just for fitness and events, but also for high-end offerings such as sports tourism and tech-enabled training. As was evident at CIFTIS 2025, this demand is fueling a boom in tech innovation and attracting the interest of both domestic and international companies.
In the open demo area, two boxing robots in red and green helmets threw punches – dodging, blocking and swinging, drawing gasps and applause from the crowd.
Nearby, tennis fans took their shots under the gaze of an AI coach: high-definition cameras tracked every move, analyzing the speed and trajectory of the ball to provide professional feedback that was accessible to everyone.
The just-concluded 12th edition of CIFTIS showcases China's service sector development and market potential. While topics such as tourism and finance are familiar to visitors, sports as a service remains a relatively new concept.
Many exhibitors, such as billiards manufacturer Duya, were attending the fair for the first time this year, a sign of the growing vitality of the industry. Well-known among young billiards enthusiasts in China, the company shared plans to expand the already popular “Duya Legends Golden Nine International Tour,” which has attracted participants from more than 60 countries and regions to play Chinese billiards.
“We are trying to create an image of Chinese billiards as a healthy and fashionable sports lifestyle. In this way, we will attract more young people in China and around the world to play the game,” said Yan Yuqing of Duya, adding that CIFTIS offers the company a platform to seek broader cross-industry cooperation with sectors such as the automotive industry, sports drinks and finance.
Overseas companies are also keen to take advantage of this growing market. At the Beijing fair, French extreme sports organiser Hurricane Group unveiled an ambitious plan for China – to develop around 100 urban sports venues, launch an International Extreme Sports Competition and create a new event in Beijing. It also envisages a giant 100-hectare integrated resort area dedicated entirely to extreme sports – the largest of its kind in the world.
“The Chinese market has clearly become our number one market worldwide due to its size and the growing appetite for urban sports,” said Hurricane Group CEO Hervé André-Benoît.
A report released by the General Administration of Sport of China at CIFTIS 2025 highlighted sports as a key area for trade growth. China's sports services trade has seen steady growth in recent years, with imports up 30.8 percent and exports up 43.5 percent year-on-year in 2024.
Policy incentives are expected to accelerate the trend. Earlier this month, China’s State Council issued guidelines aimed at further stimulating sports consumption and spurring high-quality development of the industry. Under the guidelines, the country aims to increase the total value of its sports industry to more than 7 trillion yuan (about $986 billion) by 2030.
Notably, the impact extends beyond sports. Last summer, when the Su Super League, an amateur soccer tournament in eastern China's Jiangsu province, took over China, not only did ticket sales rise, but tourism, food and hospitality services in cities in Jiangsu province also saw a significant boost.
Perhaps the venue for CIFTIS 2025 tells its own story. Its permanent venue, Beijing’s Shougang Park, which hosted the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, has been transformed from a former steel mill into a symbol of urban regeneration, with the majestic Big Air Ski Jump now a major attraction for visitors and international event participants alike.
In China's evolving economic strategy, sports are no longer just a game. They have become an engine of growth and a new playground for global connections. -0-
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