Chinese Government Raises Eleven New Policies for Construction Plan of National Fitness Facilities

On October 10, the General Office of the State Council released Opinions on Accelerating the Construction of National Fitness Sites and Developing Mass Sports and advanced the policy of subsidy on large-scale stadiums to encourage sports facilities to open to public with free charge or discounts. The “Internet Plus Fitness” model would be set as a key point, which requires relevant departments to rely on current platforms and resources and authorize professional agencies to develop a management and service system of national community sports events in PC, mobile and third-party platforms. Specific contents, including layout of nationally public fitness facilities, knowledge of scientific fitness, and basic information of community sports instructors, would be integrated in support of certain functions, such as searching and booking of fitness facilities, consultation with sports instructors, as well as registration of sports trainings. In the meantime, it would become the general service platform of Chinese National Community Games.

During the day, the State Council Information Office held a regular briefing, where Li Jianming, deputy director of General Administration of Sport of China (GASC), Ou Xiaoli, director of Social Development Department of National Development and Reform Commission, Liu Yan, officer of Natural Resource Development Department of Ministry of Natural Resources, and Wang Ke, officer of Construction Energy Efficiency and Technology Department of Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, attended to paraphrase the policy and answer reporters’ questions.

As Li Jianming introduced, the Opinions raises 11 new policies to enhance the construction of fitness facilities.

1.     Conduct surveys to learn about current conditions of fitness facilities and locate deficiencies.

2.    Design and release the content of or guide to non-sports land and non-sports buildings that can be used for construction of fitness facilities.

3.    Compile a five-year plan, regarding remediation of certain deficiencies, within one year after the release of Opinions.

4.    Standardize the examination and approval of construction and properly arrange the schedule in consideration of community’s using, if it is necessary to construct certain large-scale stadiums.

5.    Ask relevant sports departments for opinions when compiling plans concerning fitness facilities.

6.    Clarify the policy of fitness facilities construction that develops unused land and public welfare land in urban areas, acquires land through renting, and comprehensively utilizes the land.

7.    Enhance the reform of examination and approval procedure of fitness facilities construction.

8.    Construct or expand 1000 sports parks during the 14^th Five-Year Plan for national fitness.

9.    Explicitly encourage social sectors to participate in the construction of outdoor fitness facilities.

10.  Authorize professional agencies to operate schools’ venue facilities and enhance the evaluation of the public usage of sports facilities.

11.   Standardize the entrusted operation of public facilities and promote model contract text of government’s authorization to social sectors.