Report outlines Xi’s push for fair competition and more ‘just’ global sports order

Calling China ‘an important force for change’, it marks the first time Xi Jinping Thought on sport has been laid out

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China won 40 gold medals at the Paris Games and 91 in total – the nation’s most successful overseas Olympics. Photo: AP

Published: 7:26pm, 28 Aug 2024Updated: 9:13pm, 28 Aug 2024

A state think tank has outlined the president’s vision for sport in China, saying it is driving a push for fair competition and a more “just and reasonable” global sports order with a greater voice for developing nations.

In its report on Xi Jinping Thought on sport, the Xinhua Institute – under official news agency Xinhua – also highlighted the Chinese leader’s call for “zero tolerance” of doping.

The report, released on Tuesday, marks the first time Xi’s ideology on sport has been laid out, adding to his political doctrine on culture – unveiled in October – and on the economy, diplomacy, military, environment and legal affairs.

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“The sporting values of fair play, compliance with the rules and respect for opponents can also be used to guide the construction of human political, economic and social life. This is particularly meaningful in the field of great power competition,” the report said.

“Besides using fair sporting competitions to demonstrate fair political competition, the deeper meaning of promoting justice through sport is to promote the building of a more just and reasonable new international sports order.”

The report said that under Xi’s leadership China had been more involved in international sport and hosted more large-scale events. It said there were more Chinese on international sporting bodies and that the nation’s influence and voice in global sports governance had increased.

It also suggested that the world’s political and economic centre of gravity was shifting towards developing countries and this was also the case in sport as more nations in the Global South won the right to host the Olympics and other major events.

“In these remarkable changes in global sports governance, China is an important force for change,” the report said, pointing to the influence of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.