Hoops game jump starts cultural exchange

According to Joseph Tsai, the billionaire cofounder of Alibaba and an owner of two professional basketball teams, it is a critical period right now for the China-US relationship, not only because of the trade issue, but also for the long-term bilateral ties.

Besides showcasing an athletic contest, the pre-season basketball game between the New York Liberty and the Chinese Women's National Basketball team Thursday night in Brooklyn was another chance to make meaningful connections between the two nations.

"I think this kind of people-to-people exchange is very important. Bringing the national women's team from China is another platform for the two cultures to see how each other competes and to learn more about each other's cultures," said Tsai. "This kind of people-to-people exchange is very important and if there are more opportunities for these exchanges, I want to do more of that."

Wang Xuan, an official with the Chinese women's team, also said the game could help the relationship between China and the US.

"The China and US relationship is in a critical period, but I think a sports exchange can play a great role since it represents fairness and equity. I believe the wishes of the two peoples are the same — pursuing a better life. I believe a sports game can be counted on as a tool to promote mutual understanding," Wang said through an interpreter.

The game was the latest collaboration between the National Basketball Association (NBA)/Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the Chinese Basketball Association. It also marked another high-profile basketball event for Tsai, who besides owning the Liberty of the WNBA also has a 49 percent stake in the NBA's Brooklyn Nets.

Last month media reports indicated that Tsai was involved in negotiations to purchase the Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn and the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island. That could eventually lead to Tsai's purchase of the remainder of the Nets, the New York Post said.

Wang said that the Chinese team welcomed the chance to compete against the Liberty.

"(The game) is an opportunity (for us) to compete and a chance to improve our strategy. It will also help us to work on our weaknesses and raise our level of play," he said.

Adding another Chinese element to the game was the presence of Han Xu on the Liberty roster. The Liberty selected Han, a 6-foot-9 center, with the team's second-round pick in the WNBA draft in April. She is the WNBA's first Chinese draftee since the Los Angeles Sparks selected 6-foot-8 center Zheng Haixia in 1997, two-and-a-half years before Han was born in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province.