China has risen quickly in the international athletic rankings and it is probably safe to assume that the Beijing Olympics will be the occasion of its best performance yet.
But athletes will not be alone in trying to do their country proud in 2008. One of China's most dynamic sportswear manufacturers hopes the games will mark its arrival as a brand name, a worthy challenger to the likes of Nike, Adidas and Reebok.
The company, Li-Ning, bears the name of its founder, a gymnast whose feats include winning three gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
From the day he opened the company in 1990, Mr Li has always wanted to nurture a brand name, said his chief financial officer, Tan Wee Seng. Unlike the majority of mainland garment makers, he has never been content to be just a contract manufacturer for foreign customers.
To achieve its goal, said Mr Tan, Hong-Kong-listed Li-Ning spends an amount equal to 15 per cent to 17 per cent of its annual turnover on brand building. On last year's revenue of 2.45 billion yuan, that comes to roughly 370 million yuan.
China's achievements as a manufacturer are often belittled by people who point to its complete failure to break into the charmed circle of international brand names. Where is China's Sony, they say, or its Nike?
