The Chinese team did not appear on the World Cup field, but Chinese elements are increasingly frequently present in the competition system.
Hong Kong English media outlet The South China Morning Post reported on June 14 that Chinese companies and technologies are deeply involved in event logistics, particularly playing a significant role in Mexico’s infrastructure, transportation, cloud computing, and event technology systems. The report mentioned that Chinese companies provided light rail trains, new energy buses, railway construction, cloud-based live streaming, event technical support, as well as football equipment and souvenirs. Some media also commented that although China did not appear on the actual fields, it was present in almost every aspect of the operation of the modern World Cup.
The report mentioned that among the numerous projects in Mexico that require significant support, Chinese companies provided 115 light rail trains to serve the World Cup venues in Mexico City. They also supplied 1,000 new energy buses for transporting tourists. Chinese state-owned enterprises also built a railway line to alleviate traffic congestion in one of the host cities, Monterrey.
Before the start of this World Cup, the renovated light rail lines in Mexico City were put into use. Reuters
China's influence also extends to the digital infrastructure for sports events. Tencent Cloud will provide live streaming technology services for official broadcasting platforms in 16 countries and regions, including China. In recent years, Chinese tech companies have continuously expanded their participation in global sports events.
Alibaba's Alibaba Cloud remains the long-term sponsor of the World Cup, further strengthening the influence of Chinese large-scale technology companies. Lenovo, as the FIFA World Cup technical sponsor, will deploy artificial intelligence technology for match analysis and fan interaction.
Meanwhile, in Yiwu, Zhejiang, a small commodity purchasing center in China, manufacturers are also producing large quantities of World Cup footballs, souvenirs, and merchandise related to football fans.
With a complete supply chain, scale manufacturing capabilities, and delivery efficiency, Chinese companies have long held an important position in the production of accessories for major global events. Some also attempt to interpret this from geopolitical and diplomatic perspectives.
According to analysts cited by The South China Morning Post, Mexico is the only developing country to host this year’s FIFA World Cup in North America and Mexico. This support for Mexico could help China strengthen bilateral relations. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto is trying to strike a balance between China and the United States.
American Army War College Strategic Studies Institute's professor of Latin American studies, Evan Ellis, said that China is becoming increasingly adept at using "sports diplomacy." He believes that China wants to show Mexico that it is a "friend."
During the 2022 Qatar World Cup, China Construction Railway Corporation was responsible for constructing the Lusail Stadium, with a contract value of 5.17 billion yuan; Qatar imported 1,500 buses from China's Yutong Bus Company.
However, Andrew Whittredy, chief economist for EIU's Americas division, said that since taking office in 2024, Sinebom has begun adjusting his policies towards China in order to maintain relations with the United States, which is its largest export market.
The Sinbom government's "Plan Mexico" industrial policy introduced last year aimed to reduce imports from China. In January this year, the government also increased tariffs on Chinese goods.
Vitriti pointed out that at the time these policies were introduced, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump had “clearly increased pressure on Mexico” to crack down on imports from China.
Although Sino-US trade relations have eased, the Trump administration continues to pressure global allies to contain China economically. According to data from the Economist Intelligence Unit, interest from Chinese investors in Mexico has cooled since 2024.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is also using the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to pressure Mexico. July 1st is the deadline for the agreement’s expiration, but neither side has reached an agreement regarding a extension.
However, China’s investment in the World Cup continues. During the events from June 11 to July 19, Hisense in China will provide display technology support for the broadcast and refereeing systems. Chinese contractors have also participated in various logistics and transportation expansion projects, including the construction of transportation facilities between Mexico City’s main airport and the competition venues.
Besides "China is not on the field, but supporting the event's operation" emphasized by the *Nan Hu Zao Bao*, international media has begun to notice a phenomenon: The World Cup is increasingly reliant on global industrial chains, and Chinese enterprises are transitioning from "selling souvenirs" to "participating in the event's core operations."
The Associated Press, when reporting on the rights to broadcast the World Cup, specifically mentioned that even if the Chinese team does not qualify, Chinese companies still have a significant presence, including sponsors such as Lenovo, Hisense, and Mengniu, as well as participation in the event's communication system.
The headline of the Asia Times report on the 14th was straightforward – two China’s in the North American World Cup. The article argued that although China once again missed out on qualifying for the World Cup finals, this absence did not mean withdrawal from the tournament. On the contrary, China is ‘present everywhere’ in another way: through sponsorship, equipment, broadcasting, supply chains, tournament technology, and infrastructure. The article summarized it this way: China was not present on the actual playing fields, but it was almost present in every aspect of the modern World Cup operation.
