The State Council Information Office (SCIO) held a press conference on Dec. 23 in Beijing.

The State Council Information Office (SCIO) held a press conference on Dec. 23 in Beijing, introducing the implementation effect of the National Fitness Plan (2011-2015).

Liu Peng, minister of the General Administration of Sport (GAS), and Liu Yongguo, director of the GAS Mass Sport Department, answered questions from media.

According to Liu Peng, up to the end of 2014, more than 33.9 percent of Chinese people exercised frequently, which has already surpassed the target of 32 percent set in the Plan.

The 2014 National Physique Monitoring Result showed that 89.6 percent of Chinese urban and rural residents meet the “healthy” standard, an increase of 0.5 percent over 2010.

By the end of 2013, there were 1.69 million sport fields across the country; at the end of 2015, the per capita area of sports grounds will reach 1.57 square meters, both meeting Plan targets.

Mr. Liu Peng said there were four aspects in implementing the Plan: firstly, the development of national fitness is unbalanced among cities, counties and villages; secondly, the public service system for national fitness needs to be completed; thirdly, financial investment nationally is still at a low level; fourthly, public sport organizations are expected to increase and expand.

In addition, Liu Peng also said that in future, the General Administration of Sport will do more to promote public fitness and encourage more residents to take part in a wider variety of sports, including those on ice and snow, and marathons.