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There will be no major or immediate change in the U.S.-China relations following President-elect Barack Obama’s nomination of Hillary Clinton as U.S. secretary of state, some U.S. experts on China said on Monday.

U.S.-China Institute Associate Director Clayton Dube from University of Southern California said in an interview that he based his assumption on the fact that Washington had a number of important issues to resolve immediately, such as dealing with the two wars, the fight against terrorism and problems in the Middle East.

“In solving some of those issues, there needs a closer cooperation with China. I think that over time, the Obama Administration will be a little bit more vigorous in pushing China on a number of issues, but I do not expect overall the relationship to change,” Dube said.

“I can expect that Obama and Hillary Clinton are going to work harder to involve and engage China in a number of issues. Hillary has experience in dealing with China on several of those things,” Dube added.

Asked whether Hillary Clinton will stick to her husband former President Bill Clinton’s foreign policy, Dube said that depended on which stage of the Clinton Administration.

According to him, during Clinton’s presidency, he first pushed China hard on human rights issues, but later he decided that it was more important to push for issues to help the U.S. economy and concentrate on trade.

Dube said Hillary Clinton knew how to build a coalition within the leadership, the U.S. Congress and the American people on various foreign policy issues, adding the former first lady was quite experienced in conveying complicated issues to voters.

“She is an outstanding mobilizer, and it is important to mobilize the American people to support the U.S. foreign policy,” he said.

Currently, the focus, according to Dube, is on two things: the war and the economy.

He said there would be difficulties in the U.S.-China relations such as trade, currency, human rights and the Taiwan issue. “Those issues are going to come up, but would come up with broad structure where no single issue can be allowed to derail the important cooperativeness that has been forged on economic issues, on nuclear non-proliferation and on environmental issues. Within that structure, they will continue to have a productive relationship.”

Stanley Rosen, a China expert and professor at the University of Southern California, expressed similar opinions on the possible development of the U.S.-China relations after Hillary’s nomination as Secretary of State.

The China expert shared the view with Dube that Hillary’s nomination would not make any major difference in the U.S. policy toward China.

Rosen noted that some China experts in the Obama team would give advices to Hillary on China issues and Obama had to spend much effort on economic issues and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“There is no benefit at all to alienate China. I do not think there will be dramatic changes in the relations between the two countries,” he added.

He also said there might be some tensions between the two countries, but the overall trend would be toward a positive direction.

There will be no major or immediate change in the U.S.-China relations following President-elect Barack Obama’s nomination of Hillary Clinton as U.S. secretary of state, some U.S. experts on China said on Monday.

U.S.-China Institute Associate Director Clayton Dube from University of Southern California said in an interview that he based his assumption on the fact that Washington had a number of important issues to resolve immediately, such as dealing with the two wars, the fight against terrorism and problems in the Middle East.

“In solving some of those issues, there needs a closer cooperation with China. I think that over time, the Obama Administration will be a little bit more vigorous in pushing China on a number of issues, but I do not expect overall the relationship to change,” Dube said.

“I can expect that Obama and Hillary Clinton are going to work harder to involve and engage China in a number of issues. Hillary has experience in dealing with China on several of those things,” Dube added.

Asked whether Hillary Clinton will stick to her husband former President Bill Clinton’s foreign policy, Dube said that depended on which stage of the Clinton Administration.

According to him, during Clinton’s presidency, he first pushed China hard on human rights issues, but later he decided that it was more important to push for issues to help the U.S. economy and concentrate on trade.

Dube said Hillary Clinton knew how to build a coalition within the leadership, the U.S. Congress and the American people on various foreign policy issues, adding the former first lady was quite experienced in conveying complicated issues to voters.

“She is an outstanding mobilizer, and it is important to mobilize the American people to support the U.S. foreign policy,” he said.

Currently, the focus, according to Dube, is on two things: the war and the economy.

He said there would be difficulties in the U.S.-China relations such as trade, currency, human rights and the Taiwan issue. “Those issues are going to come up, but would come up with broad structure where no single issue can be allowed to derail the important cooperativeness that has been forged on economic issues, on nuclear non-proliferation and on environmental issues. Within that structure, they will continue to have a productive relationship.”

Stanley Rosen, a China expert and professor at the University of Southern California, expressed similar opinions on the possible development of the U.S.-China relations after Hillary’s nomination as Secretary of State.

The China expert shared the view with Dube that Hillary’s nomination would not make any major difference in the U.S. policy toward China.

Rosen noted that some China experts in the Obama team would give advices to Hillary on China issues and Obama had to spend much effort on economic issues and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“There is no benefit at all to alienate China. I do not think there will be dramatic changes in the relations between the two countries,” he added.

He also said there might be some tensions between the two countries, but the overall trend would be toward a positive direction.

China’s cement production saw a slower growth at 2.8 percent year on year to about 1.27 billion tonnes in the first 11 months of this year, according to figures released here on Tuesday by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

Experts attributed the slower growth pace to the adverse effects of the deepening global financial and economic crisis and the slowdown of growth pace of the Chinese economy.

Although the growth rate has kept a downward trend since September, the industrial upgrading process was moving forward, with the total industrial output of cement businesses reached 456.8 billion yuan from January to November, up 21.25 percent yearon year, said the MIIT.

Meanwhile, ex-factory wholesale cement price was up 12 percent in the Jan.-Oct. period year on year.

The cement industry is expected to post a stable growth with the implementation of China’s 4 trillion yuan investment package, experts said.

China last month unveiled a massive 4 trillion yuan stimulus package to avert an economic slump, with the fund to be spent over the next two years to finance low-income housing, rural infrastructure, water, electricity, transportation, the environment, technological innovation and rebuilding from several disasters.

Profits of China’s state-owned enterprises declined for four consecutive months since August, due largely to high stockpiles and weaker demand during the global financial crisis, sources with the Ministry of Finance said on Sunday.

State-owned enterprises nationwide saw 19.09 trillion yuan (2.79 trillion U.S. dollars) in business revenues between January and November, a growth of 20.3 percent year-on-year. But the growth was 3.1 percentage points lower than the January-October period.

The total included 1.2 trillion yuan in profits, down 15.7 percent from the same period last year. The decline rate was 7.4 percentage points bigger than the Jan.-Oct. period.

The downward trend was led by the power, nonferrous metal and automotive sectors.

The slowdown for heavy industries was not as serious as light industries, but the impact from the financial crisis has been transferred to heavy industries at a quicker pace than expected, said Shen Minggao, a Beijing-based economist.

In August, when light industries had output value growth slowed to 11 percent, the heavy industry still kept a growth of more than13 percent. However, the output value growth for heavy industries slowed to 7.3 percent in October, then to 3.4 percent in November.

According to Shen, an unsatisfactory performance by the light industry helped diminish demand from downstream sectors for heavy industrial products.

Moreover, upstream enterprises rushed to buy more raw materials when prices rose weeks earlier and it took time for them to eat up those overstocks, Shen added.

Thanks to recent government economic stimuli, more money will go towards capital construction, which would help heavy industries to recover faster than the light industry, Shen said.

He predicted in the third quarter of next year, state-owned enterprises would begin to step out of the shadow of the financial crisis.

About 250,000 Filipino workers are likely to lose their jobs in the next six months amid the global financial crisis, local media reported on Tuesday.

The Philippine Department of Labor and Employment has so far recorded more than 30,000 laid-off workers since last December and the figure could reach 35,000 by the end of the month, the Philippine Star reported, quoting an anonymous labor official.

“We have posted a total of 33,548 workers displaced and subjected to reduce working hours. The number could hit 35,000 by the end of January and if the trend continues, we are looking at about 240,000 to 250,000 displacements in six months,” the official said.

Most displaced workers came from small- and medium-enterprises and companies in Southern Tagalog and Central Visayas, particularly in the central city of Cebu.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque has called on the public not to panic since the number of displaced Filipino workers, from home and abroad, is still within the normal range.

“The figure that we are getting at this time is not really alarming and we could immediately facilitate their re-employment or provide them with alternative sources of livelihood,” Roque said.

Government data showed that the unemployment rate was posted at 6.8 percent and underemployment rate at 17.5 percent in October last year in the southeast Asian country, with a population of some 90 million. The “underemployed” are those who either wanted to work full-time, get second jobs or move to other jobs that would pay better.

From a couple who found love after losing it in an earthquake, to a young man holding a bouquet of flowers, Valentine’s Day has different meanings to different people throughout China. It all depends on what they are hoping for and where in the country they live.

“DIVORCE IS THE BEST VALENTINE GIFT”

One day before Valentine’s Day, Lei Lei received the exact present she had been longing months for — a divorce from her alcoholic husband.

“That’s probably the best gift I have ever received in my 1-year-long marriage,” the Shanghai woman said.

Lei’s husband repeatedly refused to sign the divorce papers. The court finally had to rule for the end of their marriage.

It might not be the stereotypical way to celebrate Valentine’s, but Lei is representative of a growing trend in China.

In 2008, the Ministry of Civil Affairs reported 1.55 million divorces throughout the country, a 10.6 percent year-on-year increase.

The divorce allows Lei to begin her love life over again. “Maybe I will start to date on Valentine’s night,” she said. “I cannot wait to embrace a new life without drunken ravings.”

TYING THE KNOT

As Lei was rejoicing over the end of her marriage, thousands inBeijing were getting ready to tie the knot.

“It brings double happiness to register on the special day,” said Li Yunshi, who just finished registering for a marriage application online.

According to the Municipal Civil Affairs Administration, more than 2,000 Beijing couples filed for marriage on Valentine’s Day, which falls on a Saturday.

The figure is at least three times as many as a typical Saturday. There are also 1,300 more couples registered this year compared to last year’s Valentine’s Day.

“Saturdays are always big days for marriage registration. This Saturday is even bigger because it’s Valentine’s day,” said Zhou Baojun, director of the marriage registry for the city’s Xicheng District.

“Also, many young couples met their new family members during the Spring Festival holiday and the time for their marriages is ripe,” Zhou added.

She said all ten of her staff will begin work at 8 a.m., half an hour earlier than usual to handle the crowds.

“We have also borrowed the 200-square-meter civil affairs hall outside the registry to accommodate applicants throughout the day.”

VALENTINE SAVERS AND REVELERS

Liu Aiming won’t be getting married on Valentine’s day because he is still trying woo his girlfriend.

The 21-year-old, from rural Henan, one of the country’s major agricultural provinces, was holding a bouquet of roses on a bus.

They cost him 168 yuan (24 U.S. dollars), or almost one-fifth of his monthly waiter’s salary.

“These are the only flowers I buy during the year and it’s first time I’ve spent so much on a gift,” he said.

He was spending money on his Valentine, but many this year are not because of China’s economic downturn.

Articles such as, “How to create more romance with less expense” were popular on Internet forums. It suggests sending sweet text messages, going window shopping and baking heart-shaped cakes as alternatives to wine-and-dine packages or expensive flower bouquets.

Some netizens even argued that broccoli is a more pertinent Valentine present than roses this year.

However, flower shop owners like Li Jing disagreed.

“Although the lingering drought over the country has led to a 30- percent rose price hike, my business has not been affected,” said Li, a florist in Huayuxianhua Flower Shop in central Beijing.

It’s because he has customers with the same idea as Liu Aiming who said, “Anyways, the holiday is only once a year.”

EVERY DAY IS VALENTINE’S DAY

A widower and widow in Gangou Village of Anxian County, one of the worst quake-hit regions in southwestern Sichuan, didn’t know they could be celebrating an imported holiday on Saturday.

“It’s Valentine’s Day? I did not know that,” said Lin Xingcong, who was busy carrying bricks. “It’s a new concept in the countryside.”

Lin and his new wife Li were busy trying to build a new house and a new life together after they lost everything in the May 12 earthquake.

“We have agreed to put the pictures of our deceased spouses on the bedside tables,” said Li Xiangyun. “We both understand each other’s way of expressing love.”

Like many people living in rural China, Valentine’s Day remains a foreign concept.

“Since construction of our new house will finish in a week, I guess that is the best gift we can give each other.” Liu said.

Li and Lin married to “support each other financially and psychologically” and to them, everyday is like Valentine’s Day.

From a couple who found love after losing it in an earthquake, to a young man holding a bouquet of flowers, Valentine’s Day has different meanings to different people throughout China. It all depends on what they are hoping for and where in the country they live.

“DIVORCE IS THE BEST VALENTINE GIFT”

One day before Valentine’s Day, Lei Lei received the exact present she had been longing months for — a divorce from her alcoholic husband.

“That’s probably the best gift I have ever received in my 1-year-long marriage,” the Shanghai woman said.

Lei’s husband repeatedly refused to sign the divorce papers. The court finally had to rule for the end of their marriage.

It might not be the stereotypical way to celebrate Valentine’s, but Lei is representative of a growing trend in China.

In 2008, the Ministry of Civil Affairs reported 1.55 million divorces throughout the country, a 10.6 percent year-on-year increase.

The divorce allows Lei to begin her love life over again. “Maybe I will start to date on Valentine’s night,” she said. “I cannot wait to embrace a new life without drunken ravings.”

TYING THE KNOT

As Lei was rejoicing over the end of her marriage, thousands inBeijing were getting ready to tie the knot.

“It brings double happiness to register on the special day,” said Li Yunshi, who just finished registering for a marriage application online.

According to the Municipal Civil Affairs Administration, more than 2,000 Beijing couples filed for marriage on Valentine’s Day, which falls on a Saturday.

The figure is at least three times as many as a typical Saturday. There are also 1,300 more couples registered this year compared to last year’s Valentine’s Day.

“Saturdays are always big days for marriage registration. This Saturday is even bigger because it’s Valentine’s day,” said Zhou Baojun, director of the marriage registry for the city’s Xicheng District.

“Also, many young couples met their new family members during the Spring Festival holiday and the time for their marriages is ripe,” Zhou added.

She said all ten of her staff will begin work at 8 a.m., half an hour earlier than usual to handle the crowds.

“We have also borrowed the 200-square-meter civil affairs hall outside the registry to accommodate applicants throughout the day.”

VALENTINE SAVERS AND REVELERS

Liu Aiming won’t be getting married on Valentine’s day because he is still trying woo his girlfriend.

The 21-year-old, from rural Henan, one of the country’s major agricultural provinces, was holding a bouquet of roses on a bus.

They cost him 168 yuan (24 U.S. dollars), or almost one-fifth of his monthly waiter’s salary.

“These are the only flowers I buy during the year and it’s first time I’ve spent so much on a gift,” he said.

He was spending money on his Valentine, but many this year are not because of China’s economic downturn.

Articles such as, “How to create more romance with less expense” were popular on Internet forums. It suggests sending sweet text messages, going window shopping and baking heart-shaped cakes as alternatives to wine-and-dine packages or expensive flower bouquets.

Some netizens even argued that broccoli is a more pertinent Valentine present than roses this year.

However, flower shop owners like Li Jing disagreed.

“Although the lingering drought over the country has led to a 30- percent rose price hike, my business has not been affected,” said Li, a florist in Huayuxianhua Flower Shop in central Beijing.

It’s because he has customers with the same idea as Liu Aiming who said, “Anyways, the holiday is only once a year.”

EVERY DAY IS VALENTINE’S DAY

A widower and widow in Gangou Village of Anxian County, one of the worst quake-hit regions in southwestern Sichuan, didn’t know they could be celebrating an imported holiday on Saturday.

“It’s Valentine’s Day? I did not know that,” said Lin Xingcong, who was busy carrying bricks. “It’s a new concept in the countryside.”

Lin and his new wife Li were busy trying to build a new house and a new life together after they lost everything in the May 12 earthquake.

“We have agreed to put the pictures of our deceased spouses on the bedside tables,” said Li Xiangyun. “We both understand each other’s way of expressing love.”

Like many people living in rural China, Valentine’s Day remains a foreign concept.

“Since construction of our new house will finish in a week, I guess that is the best gift we can give each other.” Liu said.

Li and Lin married to “support each other financially and psychologically” and to them, everyday is like Valentine’s Day.

Recovery for China’s steel market was not yet in sight as declining exports and excessive production capacity continued to haunt the industry, said officials from the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA).

Luo Bingsheng, CISA’s executive deputy director, said at a conference on Monday that the rise in steel prices from December to February was not a sign of recovery. The country’s steel market would remain subdued this year because of shrinking demand and huge capacity, he added.

CISA vice secretary general Qi Xiangdong put the rise in prices down to an increase in stockpiling.

“The financial crisis and the domestic economic slowdown resulted in contraction in both overseas and domestic markets”, Luo said, noting China, the world largest producer and consumer, was facing many uncertainties.

The lingering financial crisis dragged the world economy into recession.

Many steel-consuming industries were seriously battered, especially construction, automobile and shipbuilding, which caused a steep drop in steel demand and therefore eroded China’s steel exports, the Beijing Lange Steel Information Research Center said.

According to the General Administration of Customs, China exported 1.91 million tonnes of rolled steel last month, a decline of 2.22 million tonnes, or 53.8 percent, from the same month of 2008. The steel exports were also 1.26 million tonnes, or 39.7 percent, below the December level.

Xu Xiangchun, chief analyst with MySteel.com, said orders from importers had decreased sharply since the fourth quarter last year because of the dramatic international market contraction.

The prospect is not upbeat as the World Steel Association forecasted the global demand for steel would fall more than 10 percent in 2009 year on year. The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the U.S., the main importers of China’s steel, would post declines of 9.5 percent and 10 percent in 2009, respectively. Japan’s demand for the first quarter would slide 31.6 percent.

He added the yuan’s appreciation also helped weaken the competitiveness of China’s steel products. Additionally, there emerged growing concerns over trade protectionism worldwide.

The global economic turmoil also hurt China’s economy, driving it down to a 9 percent growth for the whole year in 2008.

Luo said the domestic demand started to shrink in the second half of last year and would continue in the first quarter of this year as the financial crisis continued to spread.

“It is difficult for the steel industry to pick up until the domestic auto, shipbuilding and manufacturing sectors are revived”, he added.

The country hammered out a four-trillion yuan stimulus plan in November to boost the economy. Luo expected the package to take effect on the steel industry in the middle of this year or the second half.

The excessive production capacity posed another challenge for the domestic steel market. The steel production capacity reached 660 million tonnes by the end of last year. The crude steel output edged up 1.13 percent to 500.5 million tonnes. The growth rate was14.5 percentage points lower than a year ago.

The figures showed some 160 million tonnes of capacity were left idle.

Luo said the idle part mainly came from high-energy-consuming and high-polluting small steel mills.

Xu said the output this year would probably stay the same or even decline.

The world economic recession, weakening exports and domestic demand pushed down domestic steel prices since the third quarter and eroded profits of steel companies.

CISA said Monday that the aggregate net profit of 71 medium-sized and large steel producers fell 43 percent to 84.6 billion yuan in 2008 as weak demand drove down prices. And 15 steel producers recorded full-year losses totaling 8.5 billion yuan.

Luo noted the steel prices ended the upward trend and fell again since Feb. 11 because there was no obvious increase in domestic demand for steel.

Experts also blamed excessive purchase of iron ore for the losses of steel companies last year.

China imported 443.7 million tonnes of iron ore last year, an increase of 60.6 million tonnes than a year earlier, which led to huge inventory.

Luo said China would like to stick to the practice of striking long-term contracts and hope the fiscal year for iron ore contracts could start on Jan. 1.

In addition, CISA will adopt an agent system for iron ore imports nationwide, which has been implemented by Japan, ROK and Europe.

Currently, China has 72 steel producers and 40 merchants allowed to import iron ore. Under the system, the 72 mills have to import according to their needs and other small and medium sized steel companies have to import through the 40 agents.

Luo said the measure would impose strict control over the iron ore imports. Qi noted the step would help stabilize steel prices.

Qi said the domestic steel companies should control their output and capacity, and reduce their purchase cost to get through the tough period. However, the macro-economic trends and the changing amount of inventory made the situation uncertain.

The increasing violence in Afghanistan has caused a “disturbing rise in civilian casualties” while shrinking the very areas humanitarian workers can operate into assist the victims, said a report from UN officials released on Thursday.

A reversal was feared of recent advancement against traditional discrimination of woman and minority groups because of the lack of access to assistance, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

They cautioned impunity was prevalent, a political will to solve human rights problems including poverty absent and a purely military solution to the conflict impossible.

The report was released at UN Headquarters in New York and in Geneva, home of the Office of the High Commissioner and focused on human rights and related assistance.

“The escalation of the armed conflict in Afghanistan has had a significant impact on civilians in conflict-affected areas, in particular on those who are already vulnerable,” the 19-page document said.

Only last month U.S. President Barack Obama ordered 17,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan because of the deteriorating situation. There already are 38,000 U.S. soldiers and about 30,000 other NATO troops trying to stabilize the landlocked Asian nation.

“The intensifying conflict has also resulted in a disturbing rise in civilian casualties and has contracted the space for humanitarian action,” the UN report said. “Long-standing discrimination against women and minority groups is manifest in their lack of access to justice and other basic services.”

The report said 2,014 civilian casualties were tallied between Jan. 1, 2008, and Nov. 30, 2008, a 41 percent increase over the same period in 2007. The number killed by insurgents was put at 1,206 people, or 55 percent, and the number killed by “pro-government forces” was tallied at 795, or 39 percent. Responsibility for the remaining 113, or 6 percent, could not be ascertained.

“This makes the 2008 civilian death toll the highest of any year since the end of major hostilities after the fall of the Taliban regime at the end of 2001,” it said, adding civilians also suffered from injury, property destruction, loss of livelihood, displacement and disruption of access to education, health care and other essential services.”

But, another casualty was women’s rights.

Because of the conflict, important gains made recently by women in the public sphere “are in danger of receding,” it said.

“Mounting attacks on the freedom to express views that challenge existing power structures as well as social and religious norms that usually marginalize women cast doubts on the government’s ability to ensure a free and democratic space where human rights are fully respected,” the report said. “This is especially vital in an elections period,” slated for later this year.

The UN report said that while important initiatives for reforming the courts were launched last year, “the judicial system remains weak, corrupt and dysfunctional, and at times does not comply with international human rights obligations.”

“Compounded by a surge in criminal violence and decline of public law enforcement authorities control over parts of the country, a culture of impunity prevails as demonstrated by the failure to prosecute perpetrators for past and contemporary human rights violations and abuses,” the report said.

Efforts to transform Afghan society last year “were seriously undermined by the intensification of the armed conflict, growing lawlessness, widespread abuse of power, violence against women and their persistent marginalization, and a significant clampdown on freedom of expression,” the report said in its conclusion.

“These worrying trends are exacerbated by the lack of political will to address these deeply engrained problems,” it said. “Impunity prevails. Abusive structures of society and the leeway given to traditional power brokers have further limited prospects for the realization of human rights, in particular for vulnerable groups.

“It is widely recognized that the conflict cannot be overcome by military means alone,” the conclusion said. “But the call for an integrated civilian-led strategy to ensure Afghanistan’s long-term peace and security, opening the way to development, has yet to yield concrete results.”

The report said delivering basic services “cannot be dissociated from the imperative to hold accountable those in positions of power who violate human rights; the deep-rooted discrimination against and marginalization of women and girls and of minorities cannot be separated from alleviating the appalling levels of poverty.”

It’s ultimately the responsibility of the Kabul government, it said, “but, in the Afghan context, the international community has particular responsibility to assist.”

The authors recommended efforts should be made to integrate a human rights perspective into poverty reduction and development strategies.

Implementation of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy, a poverty reduction strategy paper adopted at the International Conference in Support of Afghanistan in June 2008, should follow Afghanistan’s national and international human rights obligations, the report said.

“These obligations must be expressly referred to in implementing and monitoring the strategy and budgeting for it, she said, “to ensure that groups marginalized by discriminatory practices are prioritized.”

The report called on both anti-government and pro-government “elements” to protect civilians.

“Investigations and, where appropriate, prosecutions should be carried out swiftly and independently,” the high commissioner and secretary-general said in the report. “Efforts should be made to influence insurgents to cease attacks against civilian targets and to enable the humanitarian community to regain and maintain critical humanitarian space.”

The fashion world has finally cottoned on that sportswear is big business with designers competing to make their mark on the Olympics and win a place in the huge Chinese market.

With four billion people expected to watch the 2008 Games, it’s a dream marketing opportunity for the fashion industry, prompting more designers to outfit national teams and launch sports lines as new sportswear stores pop up around Beijing.

“It is a great opportunity for fashion brands to get involved in something quite big and heroic,” said Ligaya Salazar, the curator of a show called “Fashion V Sport” opening at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum this week.

“More and more we are seeing fashion brands getting involved in sports like the Olympics or Wimbledon or the U.S. Open.”

Salazar said fashion and sport shared a long history but the direct collaboration only began about 10 years ago after designers noticed people were increasingly wearing sports gear, such as tracksuits and running shoes, on the street.

This opened up a new audience for the fashion world which knew that sports had a greater global impact than any catwalk with fans fiercely loyal to their sporting heroes .

Massive sports brands like Adidas and Nike have always competed for attention at the Olympics but their new rivals are designers previously more at home with a couture crowd.

Designers Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen are producing collections with sportwears brands and sports figures are heading fashion campaigns, such as English soccer player David Beckham for Armani, or designing their own collections.

Salazar said this trend was reflected at the Beijing Olympics where the fashion stakes have been raised.

DESIGNERS MUSCLE INTO SPORTS

The U.S. Olympic Committee chose Polo Ralph Lauren as their outfitter for the Beijing Olympics, replacing Canadian company Roots Ltd which dressed the team for the past three Olympics.

Canadian retailer Hbc, originally the Hudson’s Bay Company, is producing red-and-white hooded sweatshirts (hoodies) and gold collage maple leaf T-shirts with Chinese astrological symbols for the Canadian team.

Rio de Janeiro-based design firm Oestudio joined forces with sportswear brand Olympikus to create the Brazilian outfits.

Many other countries have yet to go public with their outfits which are often kept under wraps until the Opening Ceremony.

But while designers are moving into the arenas, they are also ensuring they back up their efforts with marketing and retail.

For example Polo Ralph Lauren, like many licensees, will also produce Olympics “replica wear” that goes on sale this month as the world spotlight turns onto the August 8-24 Games.

German sports outfitter Adidas opened the doors to its world’s biggest store in Beijing last month as it battles Nike for top slot in the lucrative Chinese market at a time when the U.S. consumers are tightening their purse strings.

The high-tech four-storey megastore in a new shopping centre in the popular Sanlitun area, which boasts another 12 sportswear stores, sells special Adidas collections by Stella McCartney, Yohji Yamamoto of Japan, and an Olympic line.

Shopper Zhang Yan, 23, an English student from Mu Danjiang in Hei Longjiang Province in Beijing for the Olympics, said young Chinese wanted trendy sports clothes for sports and daywear.

“All young people want to these clothes because they are beautiful and very fashionable. Even some older people like to wear them,” she told Reuters.

“With the Olympics everyone wants to look sporty as this is the biggest event ever for us and we all want to be supportive.”