Mediating the giants: Yao Ming, NBA and the cultural politics of Sino-American relations

Abstract

Abstract In this study, a qualitative approach is employed to examine former NBA player Yao Ming’s flexible and transnational identity, his role in the global expansion of the NBA into China, and his cultural and political influences on both American and Chinese society. More specifically, this article focuses on Yao Ming’s dynamic symbolic role in a new era of Sino-American relations against the backdrop of accelerated globalization, especially a pervasive neoliberal capitalism that deeply affects the socialist order of contemporary China. This study explores the use of sport as a crucial tool of cultural diplomacy for bridging nation-states. It further contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of how globalization, celebrity culture, and international relations actively work together in the service of politics.