内容摘要：Additionally, Gross recommends that the U.S. invest more in the transmission grid that moves that power around.

Additionally, Gross recommends that the U.S. invest more in the transmission grid that moves that power around.

Englishman Rowan Simons has spent almost 40 years in China and gained fame doing television commentary in Chinese on English Premier League matches. He also wrote the 2008 book “Bamboo Goalposts.”China is benefiting from reforms over the last decade that placed soccer in schools. But Simons argues that soccer culture grows from volunteers, civil society and club organizations, none of which can flourish in China since they are possible challengers to the rule of the Communist Party.

“In China at the age of 12 or 13, when kids go to middle school, it’s known as the cliff,” he says. “Parents may allow their kids to play sports when they’re younger, but as soon as it comes to middle school the academic pressure is on — things like sport go by the wayside.”To be fair, the Chinese women’s team has done better than the men. China finished runner-up in the 1999 Women’s World Cup but has faded as European teams have surged with built-in expertise from the men’s game. Spain won the 2023 Women’s World Cup. China was knocked out early, battered 6-1 by England in group play.China has been successful targeting Olympic sports, some of which are relatively obscure and rely on repetitive training more than creativity. Olympic team sports like soccer offer only one medal. So, like many countries, China focuses on sports with multiple medals. In China’s case it’s

, table tennis and weightlifting.“For young people, there’s a single value — testing well,” says Zhang, the commentator and journalist. “China would be OK if playing soccer were only about bouncing the ball 1,000 times.”

Li Tie, the national team coach for about two years beginning in January 2020,

for bribery and match fixing. Other top administrators have also been accused of corruption.President Donald Trump, from right, speaks during a news conference with Elon Musk as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent listen in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

It’s a sharp shift for Musk, the world’s richest person, who spentsupporting Trump’s campaign last year. He previously pledged to help defeat Republican lawmakers deemed insufficiently loyal to Trump, but now he’s suggesting voting them out if they advance the president’s legislative priority.

However, it’s unclear how Musk will follow through on his criticism. He recently said he would spendon political campaigns, though he left the door open to political involvement “if I see a reason.”