►►China is strengthening youth fitness nationwide through expanded school sports programs, daily exercise requirements and public health policies inspired by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s emphasis on children’s physical wellbeing.
BEIJING- students and teachers at Beijing Yuying School begin their day with a run around the campus track, a routine the school has maintained for years.
« Running has become a habit for all of us, » said Wang Zuozhou, head of physical education department for the school’s primary division.
Behind the daily laps lies a deeper source of motivation.
Ahead of International Children’s Day in 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the campus of Beijing Yuying School, where he took in a vibrant scene at the basketball court — students enthusiastically playing basketball or rope-skipping in their P.E. classes.
« Regular physical exercise should be a priority from an early age, » Xi said.
« The more you participate in sports and exercise, the less chance you become overweight or nearsighted, » he told the students.
For Wang and his colleagues, ensuring that children receive one P.E. class and two hours of outdoor exercise every day has been a mission. « President Xi’s words were simple yet profound. We’re really happy to see the children grow up healthy and strong. »
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, is a staunch supporter of an educational philosophy that places health as the foremost priority.
« I’m deeply concerned that so many children wear glasses nowadays. Their overall physical health has also declined due to a lack of exercise, » Xi said, when he inspected Laoxian Town Central Primary School in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province in April 2020.
By Xinhua
