The EU remained China's second-largest trading partner in the first eight months of the year, with bilateral trade posting growth of 1.1 percent during the period, slightly up from a reading of 0.4 percent in the January-July period, data from Chinese customs showed on Tuesday.

The data reflected the continued improvement of trade, after January-July data reversed a downward trend, underscoring the resilience and complementarity of the two economies, despite some recent protectionist measures implemented by the EU such as the bloc's hefty provisional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs).

Total bilateral trade reached 3.72 trillion yuan ($522.61 billion) in yuan-denominated terms between January and August, up 1.1 percent on a yearly basis, according to the General Administration of Customs. 

The data confirmed the improvement from the first half, during which bilateral trade declined by 0.7 percent year-on-year.

China's exports to the EU increased by 2.9 percent year-on-year to 2.44 trillion yuan while imports from the bloc decreased by 2.1 percent on a yearly basis to 1.28 trillion yuan, the GAC data showed. Trade with the EU accounted for 13 percent of China's total trade, unchanged from the January-July period.

The trade data came as the EU has increasingly resorted to protectionist measures in face of fierce external competition. The latest improving data showed that the economies of China and the EU are highly complementary, and that China's mega-market and the EU's single market can offer huge opportunities for each other's economic development, analysts noted.

Instead of resorting to protectionism, the EU should remain open and confident to create a fair competition environment to allow trade to flourish, they said. 

In August, trade reached 500.51 billion yuan,down from July's 503.3 billion yuan.

In the month, the bloc unveiled a draft decision to impose final countervailing duties of up to 36.3 percent on Chinese EVs.

Overall,China's foreign trade grew 6 percent during the first eight months. Auto exports value grew by 22.2 percent on a yearly basis to 540.84 billion yuan while imports of autos slid by 6.6 percent to 193.61 billion yuan. 

The latest defense operation against a potential asteroid impact reflects China's ability to quickly initiate relay tracking observations thanks to its deployment of widespread observation stations across the country and advanced network monitoring technologies, Chinese experts involved in the tracking task told the Global Times on Sunday, noting that international cooperation is crucial in dealing with such emergency situations. 

On early Thursday, a small asteroid approximately 1.2 meters in diameter entered the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of approximately 20 kilometers per second and exploded at an altitude of about 25 kilometers northeast of the Philippines. 

It was the first time that China's monitoring network has conducted relay tracking observations for an asteroid warning, also the ninth asteroid that humankind has ever spotted before impact, according to media reports. It marked significant progress in China's asteroid defense efforts, Science and Technology Daily reported on Saturday. 

The asteroid, named 2024 RW1, was first discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) at 1:43 pm Beijing time on Wednesday and at 8 pm, a near-Earth telescope of the Purple Mountain Observatory started tracking the asteroid's trajectory. Meanwhile, telescopes located at the Ngari Prefecture in Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region joined the tracking, providing ephemeris guidance for radar observations, Zhao Haibin, a researcher at the Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, told the Global Times. 

China's ability to quickly initiate the relay observation benefited from the deployment of observation stations across various time zones, providing a relatively comprehensive relay tracking capability, Zhao said. Also, by leveraging the advantages of networked monitoring equipment, scientists were able to conduct position forecasting, tracking and data processing, he added.

The successful handling of impact this time was the result of joint global actions by observatories in the US, Chile and Australia together with China, Zhao said, "The recent series of success in early warning and avoidance against asteroid impact cannot be done without joint efforts by global participants." 

China joined the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) in 2018, an organization that aims to strengthen global cooperation and data sharing in the field of near-Earth object observation and response to potential impact threats.

Two giant pandas spotted engaging in courtship by rangers in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province in March have been identified as Tao Tao and Hua Yan, which is the first live footage of two released giant pandas engaging in courtship behavior captured in China, Sichuan Guancha reported on Tuesday.

In March, rangers from the conservation station of Giant Panda National Park in Shimian county in Ya’an, Sichuan, came across two giant pandas during their patrol and captured footage of them courting each other.

In order not to interfere with the pandas’ courtship, the rangers chose to leave first and came back to the site the next day to collect feces samples.

After analyzing the experimental data of giant panda fecal samples, the laboratory staff members of the station confirmed recently that the male giant panda in the video was Tao Tao, released to the wild in 2012, and the female giant panda Hua Yan, released in 2016.

This confirms that they have successfully adapted to the wild and are capable of mating, breeding, and courting, staff explained. It marks a significant new development and discovery for the panda release program. 

The mating season for wild giant pandas is typically from March to May, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Emerging industries such as electric vehicles (EVs) and artificial intelligence (AI) play a very big role in China-Africa cooperation, Allan Majuru, CEO of ZimTrade, the national trade development and promotion organization of Zimbabwe, told the Global Times on Friday on the sidelines of the eighth Conference of Chinese and African Entrepreneurs.

"China has worked on AI and green (transition) before and we believe that we can learn a couple of things from China on how they worked out," said Majuru. "China's modernization has moved fast both in terms of infrastructure and also in EVs and other sectors."

"We are here not only to do business but to learn. There has been a lot of exchange learning that has happened between China and us and that has enabled us to bring expertise back home. We believe we can learn a lot from China to make sure that when we go green in Zimbabwe, our roadmap is also carried by international best practices," Majuru noted.

Green development, including the launch of 30 clean energy projects in Africa, was among the 10 partnership actions that China unveiled on Thursday, aiming to jointly advance modernization with Africa in the next three years, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The 10 actions span over areas of mutual learning, trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity, development cooperation, health, agriculture and livelihoods, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, green development and common security.

"There was a roadmap, a 10-point plan, that was put in place during the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to support our development. It's quite significant for us," said Majuru, adding that the summit is going to be mutually beneficial.

In terms of the potential of economic and trade cooperation, Majuru said that there are a lot of areas in focus.

For Zimbabwe, the cooperation focus is agriculture. China is the biggest importer of its agricultural products. "China is not only buying from us, but also investing so that we can source for ourselves. And the good thing is, we are now focusing on value-added exports," said Majuru.

He stressed that trade between China and Zimbabwe has been increasing for five years and it's going to grow more. "We will participate in events like the CAETE (China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo) and CIIE (China International Import Expo), which will help us grow our footprint in China."

In 2023, trade between China and Zimbabwe totaled $3.12 billion, up 29.9 percent year-on-year, according to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China.

"I think for us (Zimbabwe), most of our trade coming from China is based on machinery equipment. If we can get more of that into our country, we can modernize ourselves. Modernization is quite key for us. We are grateful for that plan (put in place at the 2024 FOCAC) and also the resources that have been put in place to make sure that we support the same plan," said Majuru.

Majuru stressed that Zimbabwe is in the process of modernizing. He believes that there is a lot of technology that they can import from China and use back home. And also there are a lot of products that they can get from home to bring back to China.

Majuru also pointed out that it is important to make sure that trade among African countries is made easy. "The support that we're going to get from China in terms of infrastructure development and modernization is going to help us facilitate trade."

Trade can be seamless and efficient with the necessary infrastructure put in place, which can make transport, goods and services very efficient, Majuru said, noting that if more emphasis is put on infrastructure going forward, it will help Africa when implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area.

China and Africa will cultivate "small yet smart" livelihood programs that feature technical training, effectiveness and poverty alleviation in the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China's top economic planner said on Thursday.

China and Africa will jointly enhance the momentum of economic development, build an international cooperation platform with broad participation, promote economic and social development in Africa, and provide a material foundation for improving people's livelihoods, Xu Jianping, an official of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), told a press conference in Beijing on Thursday. The NDRC published a blue paper on the same day summarizing the progress of China-Africa cooperation. 

These projects will further improve Africa's capacity for independent and sustainable development, and help the African people accelerate the process of poverty alleviation and income enhancement, according to Xu.

China and Africa are set to discuss plans for further pragmatic cooperation during the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to be held in Beijing from September 4 to 6.

Officials at the press conference noted that the promotion of "small yet smart" livelihood programs are producing synergies with signature projects built by Chinese companies on the continent, and the implementation of such programs is fostering enhanced institutional connectivity.

Wan Zhe, an economist and professor at the Belt and Road School of Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times on Thursday that "small yet smart" programs will boost people-to-people exchanges between China and African countries.

These programs are focused on improving the educational level of the local people, boosting local development in the fields of science and technology and innovation, improving the local work force's vocational skills and transferring technologies, Wan said. These programs help fill development and technology gaps faced by many African countries. 

China has long firmly supported Africa countries' pursuit of an independent development path, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a routine press conference on Thursday. 

Focusing on Africa's most pressing needs to advance modernization, China launched three initiatives to promote industrialization, agricultural modernization and talent training in African countries under the framework of the FOCAC to foster prosperity in Africa, Lin noted.

Many signature projects and "small yet smart" people-centered programs have been launched.

In Uganda, local companies investing in an industrial park set up a Luban Workshop on-site training ground, which has played an important role in cultivating local specialists in fitter jobs, electrical automation, computerized numerical control machine work and other fields, according to Xu.

In Angola, CRCC (International) completed a water supply project in 2022 that provides around-the-clock tap water for 92 percent of urban areas in Cabinda province.

Li Chongyang, a manager at CRCC (International), told the Global Times on Thursday that the project effectively filled a livelihood gap and ended the practice of local people having to fetch water with various types of containers.

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Tuesday announced decisive measures against Canada, including plans to initiate dispute settlement proceedings at the WTO and launch an anti-discrimination probe, after Canada's decision to impose hefty additional tariffs on Chinese products, including electric vehicles (EVs), steel and aluminum.

The significant measures against Canada are due to the "extremely vicious" actions taken by Ottawa against Chinese products without any factual basis or due process, Chinese experts said. The Chinese measures, in line with Chinese laws and WTO rules, could result in further steps to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, if Ottawa moves forward with the tariffs, experts said.     

Among the measures is a decision to initiate dispute settlement proceedings against Canada's additional tariffs against Chinese EVs and other products at the WTO to safeguard the interests of Chinese industries.

In addition, China will launch an anti-discrimination investigation into Canada's decision of imposing additional tariffs on Chinese EVs, steel and aluminum, based on Article 7 and Article 36 of China's Foreign Trade Law.

Article 7 of China's Foreign Trade Law stipulates that in the event that any country or region applies prohibitive, restrictive or other like measures on a discriminatory basis against China in respect of trade, China may, as the case may be, take countermeasures against the country or region in question. And Article 36 of China's Foreign Trade Law states that the authority responsible for foreign trade under the State Council may conduct investigation with regard to relevant matters, including the matter that requires investigation for implementing Article 7.

This is the first time China has launched an anti-discrimination investigation of its kinds, which could lead to further actions based on the results of the investigation, according to Zhou Xiaoyan, vice president of the China Council for International Investment Promotion. 

"Investigative authorities will make a final ruling based on the results of the investigation," Zhou told the Global Times on Tuesday, noting that China could take corresponding actions, if any country or region is found to have taken discriminatory actions against China.  

The MOFCOM also said on Tuesday it will take subsequent measures based on the actual situation.

Liang Ming, director of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation's Institute of International Trade, said China could take all necessary measures against Canada in accordance to relevant laws, given the malicious nature of Canada's discriminatory actions against Chinese products. 

"In taking such actions, Canada clearly had a political motive and blindly followed the step of the US," Liang said, noting that Canada's tariff rate of 100 percent against Chinese EVs was also arbitrary without any factual basis or investigation. 

"Canada's actions are extremely arbitrary, vicious and reckless," Liang said, adding that while Canada's actions will not affect China's foreign trade and stable economic growth, "the nature of Canada's actions is extremely vicious, which set bad examples for other countries and will have a negative impact on global free trade." 

Also on Tuesday, the MOFCOM announced that China will launch an anti-dumping investigation into canola seeds imported from Canada, in response to industry concerns and in order to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the domestic enterprises.

In 2023, Canada's exports of canola seeds to China reached $3.47 billion, increasing 170 percent year-on-year, even as prices continuously dropped, according to the MOFCOM. Affected by Canada's unfair competition, Chinese domestic industries continue to suffer losses, the ministry said.    

In addition, China also plans to launch an anti-dumping probe into relevant chemical products from Canada, the MOFCOM announced.

"China's attitude is very clear and it will take all necessary measures to defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies," the MOFCOM said on Tuesday, while announcing the measures.

Unlike Canada's move that is politically motivated and out of the WTO framework, the measures taken by the Chinese side are made in response to the industry requests and concerns and are based on WTO rules as well as with clear reference from corresponding laws and regulations of China, experts said.

"If a WTO member's dumping of products to another member has caused damage to the latter's domestic industry, the latter under WTO rules could launch anti-dumping investigations," Zhou said. "This is normal practice."

From selling stones to selling scenery, Yucun, a former small mining village in Anji county, East China's Zhejiang Province, has transformed from a polluting miner to an environmental steward. 

The example of Yucun is a vivid display of China's green transition effort and a successful balance between economic growth and ecological protection as China is moving forward by ramping up more efforts in all areas of socioeconomic development so as to accomplish the goal of building a Beautiful China, which is stressed in the key meeting in July.

Mines in Yucun village have been converted into rapeseed fields and lotus ponds, creating picturesque landscapes. 

This green transition represents a vivid example of making low-carbon development sustainable amid the country's efforts on ecological protection. The green growth model also put President Xi Jinping's vision of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" into practice.

At present, Yucun has afforested more than 500 mu (33 hectares) of the previous mining area and has planted about 3,000 mu of trees, lifting the forest coverage rate from under 70 percent in 2005 to a current 95 percent, according to official statistics. 

How it happened?

In the 1990s, Yucun relied on blasting mountains to build lime kilns, set up brick and cement factories, and once became the richest village in Anji county. However, this prosperity came at the cost of the local environment.

Extensive development has led to dust in the air and mud in rivers, villagers in Yucun told the Global Times. They recalled struggling with the question: Where is the way out? Balancing economic growth with environmental protection seemed like an impossible challenge to resolve. 

From 2003, Yucun closed, within three years, three limestone quarries and a cement factory, which at the time accounted for 95 percent of its annual income. 

In 2005, President Xi, then secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, visited Yucun, where he said that "mountains and rivers green are mountains of silver and gold," the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The site of the demolished cement factory was converted into a plantation, and a large area of land was turned into rapeseed fields and lotus ponds. In 2021, Yucun was named "Best Tourism Village" by the UN World Tourism Organization.

The unique scenery has attracted more tourists to the small village. Thanks to this travel boom, villagers soon made more money than when they relied on mining and cement. 

"Yucun was a village without famous sights and historical sites, and we were uncertain if we could develop local tourism," Yu Xiaoping, deputy Party chief of Yucun village, told the Global Times. "But time has proved that we were on the right path of transition from 'selling stones' to 'selling scenery' and balancing economic development with ecological protection."

"Tourism began to improve in 2006, when I made 300,000 yuan  ($42,189)," Pan Chunlin, a homestay owner in Yuncun, told the Global Times. 

Pan, a former tractor driver in the mining industry, opened his first homestay business in Yucun in 2005, which was also the first of its kind in the village. 
With Pan's success, other villagers have also turned to tourism, opening homestays and organizing fruit picking and canoe tours.

In 2023, Yucun welcomed 1.15 million tourists, realizing a tourism revenue of 55 million yuan ($7.7 million), according to official statistics.

At present, there are more than 100 guesthouses in Yucun. More than 70 percent of villagers are engaged in tourism-related industries, and the per capita annual income has grown from less than 8,000 yuan in 2005 to more than 70,000 yuan in 2023.

Green and beyond

Yucun also actively developed ecological agriculture products. In 2023, the sale of green agricultural products in Yucun exceeded 10 million yuan and were sold throughout the country via e-commerce platforms, domestic news site ceweekly.cn reported. 

At the same time, Yuncun introduced high-tech industries to promote sustainable economic development.

Currently, high-tech industries make up 30 percent of Yucun's economy, according to media report.

"We have been exploring the improvement and upgrading of bee species and bee breeding machines, in order to improve the quality of honey," a manager of a Yucun-based bee industry company told the Global Times.

Beautiful China on the way

"We will ramp up the green transition in all areas of economic and social development and improve the environmental governance system. We will prioritize ecological protection, conserve resources and use them efficiently, and pursue green and low-carbon development, with a view to promoting harmony between humanity and nature," read the resolution adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held in July. 

China has been committed to green and low-carbon development, which acts as a fundamental solution to ecological and environmental problems. The country has made remarkable achievements in ecological conservation and has taken major steps to build a beautiful China.

Over the past decade, China has achieved some historic breakthroughs in the development of green and low-carbon energy and has been moving toward building a clean, diversified, secure and resilient energy supply system, according to a white paper entitled "China's Energy Transition" released on Thursday.

Throughout the comprehensive green transformation, new growth drivers and advantages have been developed and strengthened, fueling China's ongoing high-quality development.

Warships of the Chinese and Singaporean navies have launched the harbor phase of a joint exercise ahead of the sea phase off the southern Chinese coast, a move experts said on Sunday displays how China and Southeast Asian countries can have military cooperation that contributes to peace and stability.

After the frigate Sanya and the minesweeper Hejian of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy as well as the frigate RSS Stalwart of the Singaporean navy assembled at a naval port in Zhanjiang, South China’s Guangdong Province on Thursday for the China-Singapore Exercise Cooperation 2024 joint maritime exercise scheduled from Friday to September 5, these vessels, together with the PLA Navy’s destroyer Zhanjiang, opened to the public as a part of the harbor phase of the exercise on Saturday, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday.

The harbor phase will last until Tuesday, after which the participating vessels will embark on the sea phase in waters off Zhanjiang, CCTV reported.

The exercise aims to consolidate a mechanism that sees the two navies host joint drills alternately in their countries every year, expand the drills’ the scale and influence, and build a good situation for China’s military cooperation with countries in Southeast Asia, the PLA Navy said in a press release.

The two sides will organize training courses including joint anti-surface strike, replenishment-at-sea, joint search and rescue, as well as VBSS (visit, board, search and seizure), Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson at China’s Ministry of National Defense, said at a regular press conference on Thursday. He noted that as it is the third edition of this exercise, this year’s drill will further enhance mutual trust and friendship, and promote pragmatic exchanges and cooperation.

A Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday that the frigates and the minesweeper sent by the two sides could serve to maintain the openness of key international shipping lanes in the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca, demonstrating the two navies’ capabilities in safeguarding peace and stability in the region.

It will set a good example for military exchanges and cooperation among Southeast Asian countries, especially the Philippines, against the background of tensions in the South China Sea, the expert said.

The Paris 2024 Olympics has embraced contemporary trends by featuring a growing number of niche and emerging sports, thus infusing the Games with youthful energy. As the Paris Olympics comes to a close, the popularity of outdoor sports such as BMX, mountaineering, bouldering, and kayaking continues to rise.
According to data from Meituan, a tech-driven retail company in China, the overall search volume for "outdoor sports" has surged nearly threefold compared to last year. Since July, searches for "bouldering" have increased by 62 percent, and group-buying orders have risen by 104 percent, with consumers aged 20 to 35 becoming the primary drivers of this growth.

Yang Gen, a government official from Chongqing's Development and Reform Commission, told the Global Times that this enthusiasm is reflected in consumer spending and the development of the entire sports industrial chain.

The National Development and Reform Commission and other departments in China recently issued measures to "create new consumption scenarios and cultivate new growth points." These measures include advancing the construction of sports parks and community fitness centers, developing high-quality outdoor sports destinations, and guiding and expanding sports leisure consumption.

Blending elements

New and engaging activities with low entry barriers and strong social elements are attracting many young people.

Data from DianPing, a platform focusing on consumer lifestyles in China, reveals that this summer, at least 400 million instances of participation in outdoor sports have been recorded in China, showing a notable trend toward broader participation and lightweight activities.

At the Paris Olympics, Chinese freestyle BMX rider Deng Yawen won the gold medal in her sport's debut. This victory has generated significant interest among the younger generation in BMX, a sport known for its visual appeal and fashion elements.

A customer service representative from a BMX club in South China's Guangdong recently shared that their summer enrollment has been excellent, with courses filling up within two weeks of opening. The club is expanding their biking park with new tracks.

"Outdoor sports blend various elements of sports, leisure, entertainment, ecology, and culture, effectively meeting the diverse needs for slow living, experiential, and personalized activities," Yang noted.

The new measures also include encouraging the organization of rural sports with agricultural themes and promoting activities such as "sports events in scenic areas, street districts, and business circles," "event-oriented travel," and "vibrant outdoor sports" to boost consumption.

"In response to national calls, we continue to offer international marathon events to provide diverse and personalized experiences. This marathon will be one of many upcoming outdoor projects aimed at bringing health and joy to the public," Zhi Luxun, General Manager of China International Trade Center, the initiator of Beijing International Marathon events, told the Global Times.

Surfing's inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and its continued presence in Paris 2024 highlight the Olympics' support for emerging sports, significantly boosting surfing's global visibility and interest.

In many coastal cities, tourists have embraced new marine activities, grabbing surfboards and hitting the waves, transitioning from merely "watching the sea" to "playing in the sea" and enjoying the unique charm of this sport.

"The leisure and social attributes of outdoor sports greatly enhance their popularity. From the data, outdoor sports will exhibit trends of diversification and personalization in the coming years," Yang said.
Supporting facilities

Camping is a major highlight in outdoor sports. Some regions are enhancing camping base facilities and offering a variety of outdoor sports activities, including mountaineering, hiking, racing, and equestrian sports around the campsites, to improve the consumer experience.

According to Meituan and DianPing, the transaction volume for leisure camping-related categories on their platforms has increased nearly threefold, with keywords like "camping base" and "outdoor camping barbecue" becoming popular.

In the Tengger Desert of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, thousands of tents are scattered across the sand, within well-planned and fully equipped desert campsites. These sites offer various activities such as desert off-roading and sandboarding, and young people can relax and enjoy stargazing with friends after their adventures.

"When engaging in outdoor activities, it is better to avoid exercising during the hottest hours of the day, as UV rays are particularly strong at this time and can cause skin burns and even retinal damage," Luo Chaofan, a rehabilitation therapist at the National Health Commission told the Global Times.

Luo reminded that due to high summer temperatures, outdoor exercise causes the body to lose water very fast, thus it is usually recommended to replenish electrolytes and sugar with some sports drinks before and during exercise. "Sudden and extreme weather is prone to occur in these months. When you are outdoors, once the weather changes suddenly, you should stay away from ravines and steep slopes as soon as possible and go to open areas to prevent uncontrollable risks such as thunder, landslides, and falling rocks," Luo added.

Once a niche pursuit, marathons now have a vast and enthusiastic following, uniting amateur and elite athletes in a celebration of endurance and community. In 2024, the Chinese marathon scene has been making headlines with record-breaking performances and a growing wave of participation. From the energetic streets of the nation's capital city Beijing to the scenic canals of Changzhou in East China's Jiangsu Province, these races are positioning China as a burgeoning hub for one of the world's most challenging yet fulfilling sports.

This year, He Jie completed the Wuxi Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 57 seconds, setting a new national record. Wu Xiangdong achieved a time of 2 hours, 12 minutes, and 34 seconds in the Paris Olympic marathon, marking the best performance by a Chinese male athlete in an Olympic marathon. 

In recent years, mass sports in China have developed rapidly, with fitness for all becoming a national strategy. Policies such as the "Healthy China 2030" blueprint have been introduced. As one of many popular fitness activities, marathons have garnered widespread enthusiasm from the public.

According to the 2023 Blue Book of China Road Running Events released by the Chinese Athletics Association on March 22, a total of 699 road running events were held nationwide in 2023, with over 6 million participants. Over 2.5 million people nationwide have now completed either a half or full marathon. 

Unlike many other sports, marathons hosted in different cities across China offer a unique experience where amateurs and professionals can compete side by side. The growing popularity of marathons provides exciting new opportunities for Chinese athletes and cities alike. Marathons breathe new life into cities by promoting tourism and boosting local economies. 

These events have become powerful tools for city branding and promotion, often integrating local landmarks and culture into their routes. For example, in a marathon held this year in Changzhou, the course incorporated ancient and modern attractions, as well as the history and culture of the Grand Canal. In addition to city marathons, some Chinese cities are actively bidding to host international marathon events. 

The future of Chinese marathons lies in fostering inclusivity, maintaining high standards for public events, and continuing to integrate the sport with the unique character of each city. 

With this momentum, China is poised to become a rising star in the marathon world, inspiring millions to lace up their shoes and run toward a healthier, more active future.