Models take to the runway for the Li-Ning show during New York Fashion Week on February 12. Photo: AFP

Sports-related shares surged on Wednesday morning after the State Council, China's cabinet, announced suggestions to promote the high-quality development of sports industries.

As of press time, the leading Chinese sports company ANTA Sports soared 4.21 percent to HK$65.55($8.4), and Li-Ning rose 3.78 percent to HK$23.35. Toread, in the A-share market, increased 2.59 percent to 3.96 yuan ($0.56).

The State Council on Tuesday issued a series of suggestions including 10 measures, in a bid to stimulate the market and consumer enthusiasm for sports industries, to promote it as a pillar industry of the national economy, and encourage citizens to foster a lifestyle of regular physical exercises, according to the central government website gov.cn.

The 10 measures include enhancing industrial policies and cultivating a better development environment for sports industries, with detailed steps such as shoring up related intellectual property protection and increasing financial support for certain companies.

Other measures include improving the construction of sports fields, upgrading industrial distributions and promoting sports-related consumption, which involve launching more athletic contests and extending the opening hours of public sports venues.

By the morning's close, the Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.39 percent to 2,989 points, and the Shenzhen Component Index rose 0.14 percent to 9,736 points.