Yao Ming the Ultimate Spokesperson
The Basketball Star is the Ideal Representative of an Emerging China
Ask anyone to name a Chinese sports star, Yao Ming tops every list. Yao Ming also tops the list of Chinese humanitarians, celebrities and spokespeople seen on television. One fifth of mankind lives in China. Yao Ming is the honorary ambassador to the other four-fifths.
Yao Ming Basketball
Yao Ming is different than other sports stars. The Houston Rockets center seems completely unaffected by the trappings of worldwide celebrity. This is a significant accomplishment for a child raised in communist China. Many American sports starts have difficulty adjusting to money, fame and attention. Yao Ming seems comfortable with it.
Yao Ming Beijing Olympics
The extent of Yao Ming's worldwide celebrity was seen when he carried the Chinese flag at the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Billions of people watched as he accompanied a little boy who saved classmates from a collapsed school in the Sichuan Earthquake. Yao stepped up during the crisis and used his celebrity to raise money for earthquake relief around the world. Choosing Yao to present the Chinese flag to the world is a clear statement that the image of Yao is the image China wants.
China Representative
China has reason to be concerned about their image. China faced a number of controversial protests surrounding the Beijing Olympics. Protestors used the high profile sports event as a platform for their outrage against China's policies yet never felt it appropriate to go after China's highest profile representative. Yao Ming seems to represent all that is good from China and nothing bad.
Yao Ming Spokesperson
This has much to do with Yao Ming himself. He gives away millions of dollars of his own money and uses his celebrity for good. Yao is the spokesperson for the international wildlife conservation organization "WildAid" and China's AIDS Prevention Campaign. He promotes bone marrow donation in Beijing and Ronald McDonald House Charities. Yao has held charity telethons to support the fight against SARS, and is active in the NBA's "Basketball Without Borders" and "Read to Achieve" programs.
Emerging China and the Environment
Yao Ming actively works to improve the environment, one of China's most controversial issues. He is the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) first-ever Environment Champion. "Mr. Yao will work with young people around the world to raise awareness about green issues and to try to inspire them to plant trees, use energy-efficient light bulbs, harvest rain water and personally advocate for a healthier environment." UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner says “with a fan base of millions across the world, I am sure he can help us raise public awareness on the environment and climate change issues.”
Yao Ming Motivation
By all accounts Yao Ming's motives appear to be genuine. In an interview with a 9 year old student reporter, he said "I don't know why, but this is something I truly enjoy doing and it really makes me feel good to do it. This is a calling. I feel it is a calling. In this world, I think one person's influence is far from being enough. The reason I did this is because I hope more and more people can join us."
Yao Ming Is China
China may be the biggest beneficiary of Yao Ming's celebrity. In Yao they have a world famous icon of strength and morality. China stands to profit handsomely from the worldwide publicity generated from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They owe much of this to Yao Ming.
Yao Ming
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