China sets sights on 207 billion USD winter sports economy

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠China's State Council has unveiled an ambitious plan to grow its ice-and-snow economy, targeting winter sports, tourism and equipment manufacturing as key drivers of economic growth, with a projected value of 1.5 trillion yuan (some 207 billion U.S. dollars) by 2030.

Inspired by the success of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, more and more Chinese citizens are embracing winter sports, with the sport's popularity in the country more than doubled, according to the China Ski Industry White Book.

Excalibur Liu, a 36-year-old ski enthusiast, frequently visits Cuiyunshan Ski Resort in Chongli, a district in Zhangjiakou City in Hebei Province.

"For me, it was love at first sight. About 10 years ago, I experienced skiing in Beijing for the first time, since my hometown is in the warm southwest region of China where it rarely snows in winter. And many people like us are very addicted to winter sports and skiing can bring us excitement and passion. It can also provide a new way to hang out with families and friends," said Liu.

Zhang Dongxu, manager of the ski resort, who also entered the industry a decade ago, has witnessed the industry's remarkable transformation. 

"In the past, our ski resorts focused on purely the sports. But as people's pursuits have shifted from material to spiritual, there is now a greater demand for emotional experiences," said Zhang.

Zhang's resort saw a 70-percent increase in number of visitors during the last skiing season. He attributed the surge in skiers to infrastructure improvements from the 2022 Winter Olympics and emphasized the importance of continued government support for winter sports programs in schools.

For 28-year-old Wang Xiaoxu, a Chongli native, the growing ski industry has made a big difference. Previously, her parents had to leave town for work. Now, local job opportunities allow families to stay together. 

"This means none of us have to experience being left-behind children. We can stay close to our parents. I feel the ski resort has greatly impacted our lives in many positive ways," Wang said.

To meet the 207-billion-dollar goal by 2030, the industry needs to maintain an annual growth rate of around 7.5 percent, which may be challenging given broader economic conditions. 

Laurent Vanat, an international ski industry expert, pointed out that the ski market's growth is not always directly tied to economic trends, and that some regions have been able to ride out the worst impacts of any financial crises.  

"The growth of the ski market is not necessarily directly connected to the economic growth. We have seen this, even when there are some economic downturns like the 2008 crisis. In the ski resorts, they [still] had a very good season, especially in some provinces. For instance, in Xinjiang there is an important growth and in Jilin Province, there is also an important growth," he said.

China sets sights on 207 billion USD winter sports economy

A photo exhibition dedicated to the Flying Tigers kicked off on Saturday in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Co-sponsored by the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation and Xinjiang's government departments, the exhibition features 312 rare photographs and six artifacts, highlighting the enduring friendship between Chinese and American people.

Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, expressed hope that the exhibition tour would help more people know about the history of the close cooperation between China and the U.S. in the fight against Japanese invaders during World War II.

"We have many, 50 plus schools throughout China. Most of them we've visited. We have 25 schools in America. So anyway, the significance is we can talk in a way that no other group can talk. We have something in common. The thing in common is what the American pilots and the Chinese people did together 80 years ago," said Greene.

Besides the photo exhibition, the delegation from the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation also went to Xinjiang University and other places to award the title of "Flying Tigers Friendship School" to seven schools in Xinjiang.

"The story of the Flying Tigers is well known in China. I believe that the story and spirit of the Flying Tigers symbolize justice, peace, friendship and cooperation. This event is also an opportunity to tell the story of Xinjiang and amplifies the image of Xinjiang to the American public," said Xu Guixiang, Secretary of Party Committee of the Foreign Affairs Office under the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People's Government.

The Flying Tigers, officially known as the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, was formed in 1941 by U.S. General Claire Lee Chennault. They came to China to help Chinese people fight the invading Japanese troops.

While the Flying Tigers did not directly engage in enemy forces in Xinjiang, they share a lesser-known connection to the autonomous region.

During World War II, the Flying Tigers made attempts to establish alternative flight routes over the Himalayas, known as the Hump route, to circumvent Japan's blockade of strategic materials.

The foundation initiated the Flying Tigers Friendship School and Young Leaders Program in 2022 to promote the spirit of the Flying Tigers among Chinese and American students and deepen mutual respect and cooperation. To date, the program has partnered with nearly 60 schools across China.

Flying Tigers exhibition in Xinjiang highlights China-US friendship