Efforts to promote physical education have led to a slight improvement in the average level of fitness among students after years of decline, surveys have revealed.
The Ministry of Education has introduced a number of measures to enhance the role of PE in the nation's schools.
These include giving the PE test extra weight in the overall scoring system for the high school entrance exam, and taking PE development into account when assessing schools.
The latest initiative, announced on Wednesday by Education Minister Yuan Guiren, will see the creation of a soccer league system that within three years will involve 20,000 schools.Â