Now a leader in athletic shoes, sportswear and equipment in China, HongXing Erke Group has the major brands Erke and Erke Play and more than 5,500 outlets in China.

It also has 300 points of sale in Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and South America. Together it produces 22 million pairs of shoes and 40 million items of sportswear annually.

Due to its success in both domestic and international markets, the group has won a number of awards - it has been named one of China's renowned brands, a top 10 influential brand and one of the top 500 most famous brands in Asia. It has been honored as one of China's 500 most valuable brands for seven years in a row.

In 2005 HongXing Erke became the first sports brand from China listed overseas when it began trading on the Singapore stock exchange.

It also has the first clothing and shoes test center certified by the China National Accreditation Service and is the first enterprise in the segment whose products qualify meets the national environmental protection standard.

Another milestone is its sponsorship of the first gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

HongXing Erke, one of the first technology-oriented sportswear enterprise in China, cooperates with the world's top sports research institutes and has the industry's first biomechanics laboratory.

It also leads the country in other forms of sports technology enabled through its advanced research and development center.

The top tennis brand in China, it is a sponsor of a number of events including the International Women's Open in Guangzhou, the ITF International Women's Tournament and the Madrid Open.

In 2009, HongXing Erke signed a five-year agreement with the ATP Tennis Masters in Shanghai to become an official partner of the top tennis event in Asia.

The company also sponsors 13 young tennis players including Yanina Wickmayer and Tommy Robredo.

As well, the company meets its social responsibilities by supporting charity and causes in the public interest such as education, environmental protection and poverty reduction.

Since its establishment the group has donated 13.6 million yuan ($2.1 million) to charities including those in China's Fujian province and in Singapore.

It also donated 6 million yuan immediately after the Sichuan earthquake in 2008. Among its educational aid programs are the Wu Hanjie Education Foundation and the Dream Foundation that help the college students with their academic studies and business startup plans.