People watch a football match by robotic players at the Sports Services thematic exhibition area of the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) at Shougang Park in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 13, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

The electric buzz of a virtual racetrack filled the air as crowds gathered around simulators at the recent 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing. Among them was Xue Mei, her hands still tingling from the effects of being at the wheel.

"It doesn't feel like a game, it's almost real. Just like being in a true F1 race," she said.

This enthusiastic response highlighted the vast commercial potential within China's sports industry. Ricky Kuo, chief executive officer of the Malaysia-China joint venture that operates simulated racing competitions, identified esports racing as a particularly untapped opportunity in the country.

"With a unified market of 1.4 billion people, China's market scale is unmatched," he said, noting that the firm is collaborating with a Chinese state-owned enterprise to launch a national racing competition across 20 cities next year. Beyond competitions, the company plans to establish esports racing-themed stores in shopping malls across major Chinese cities.

As Chinese consumers grow more affluent and health-conscious, demand for sports experiences is surging -- not only for fitness and events, but for high-end offerings like sports tourism and tech-infused training. As made evident by events at CIFTIS 2025, this demand is fueling a boom in tech-powered innovations and drawing keen interest from both domestic and international businesses.

In an open-air demo area, two boxing robots wearing red and green helmets traded blows -- dodging, blocking and swinging, while drawing gasps and cheers from spectators. Nearby, amateur tennis players took swings under an AI coach's gaze: high-def cameras traced each motion, analyzing speed and form to bring pro-level feedback within everyday reach.

CIFTIS, having just wrapped up its 12th edition, showcases China's service industry development and market potential. While topics like tourism and finance are familiar to CIFTIS visitors, sports as a service remains a relatively novel idea.

Many exhibitors, like billiards maker Duya, were first-timers at the fair this year -- a sign of the industry's burgeoning vitality. Popular among young billiards lovers in China, the firm shared plans to expand its already popular "Duya Legends Golden Nine International Tour," which has attracted the participation of players from more than 60 countries and regions in playing Chinese-style billiards.

"We are trying to brand the image of playing Chinese-style billiards as a healthy and trendy sports lifestyle. Thus, we will attract more young people in China and around the world to play the sport," said Yan Yuqing with Duya, adding that CIFTIS offers the company a platform to seek cross-industry collaborations with sectors like the automotive, beverage and finance sectors.

Overseas firms are also eager to tap into this booming market. At the fair in Beijing, French extreme sports organizer Hurricane Group unveiled an ambitious plan for China -- to develop around 100 urban sports venues, launch a national championship and create a new event in Beijing. It is also envisioning a 100-hectare resort fully dedicated to action sports, the largest of its kind in the world.

"The Chinese market has clearly become our number one market worldwide, thanks to its size and the growing appetite for urban sports," said Hurricane Group CEO Hervé André-Benoit.

A report released during CIFTIS 2025 by the General Administration of Sport of China highlighted sports as a key trade growth area. China's sports service trade has seen stable growth in recent years -- with imports up 30.8 percent and exports up 43.5 percent year on year in 2024.

Policy incentives are expected to accelerate this trend. Earlier this month, the State Council issued guidelines aimed at further stimulating sports consumption and boosting high-quality development in the industry. According to these guidelines, the country aims to raise the total scale of its sports industry to over 7 trillion yuan (about 986 billion U.S. dollars) by 2030.

Notably, the impact extends beyond sports. This past summer, when the Su Super League, a grassroots football tournament in east China's Jiangsu Province, took China by storm, it wasn't just ticket sales that soared, with the event also significantly boosting tourism, dining and hotel services across cities in Jiangsu.

Perhaps the venue of CIFTIS 2025 tells a relevant story of its own. The fair's permanent home, Shougang Park, which served as a host venue for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, has been transformed from a former steel mill into a symbol of urban revival -- where the towering big air jump now stands as a major draw for visitors and international events alike.

In China's evolving economic narrative, sports is no longer just a game. It has become a growth engine and a new playing field for global connection.