China's President Xi Jinping recently talked around the country about his passion for hiking and this may have been indirectly beneficial for some brands. Beijing-based Toread saw its share-price climb sharply in mid-January at a time when the President's comments on his passion for outdoor activities were being extensively covered by social and mainstream media. In 2002, when he was head of the provincial government in the province of Fujian, Xi Jinping is reported to have been a keen hiker in the local hills. At the time, he also agreed to be the honorary president of a local hiking club.