China has announced new measures to attract foreign investment into its domestic basketball structure, after the NBA returned to the country through a multi-year agreement to stage pre-season games in Macao.
In a directive released by the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC), authorities called for “high-quality foreign capital” to support the development of domestic leagues and clubs. The plan also encourages overseas league companies, training institutions and sports-brokerage firms to establish regional headquarters in China, signalling a policy shift toward deeper engagement with international basketball organisations.
The announcement forms part of a broader state effort to revitalise Chinese basketball after several disappointing years on the international stage. China’s men’s national team, which appeared in every Olympic Games between 1984 and 2016, failed to qualify for both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
Under the new targets outlined by GASC, the men’s team should aim to qualify for the 2028 Olympics and, by 2035, appear “regularly” at future Games. Authorities also said the number of youths participating in basketball should be “significantly improved and increased” by 2030, although specific mechanisms for achieving that target were not detailed.
The measures were introduced at a high-level basketball working meeting held in Shenyang and chaired by GASC director Gao Zhidan. According to participants, representatives from the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), the National Basketball League, the women’s CBA and the Super 3 league attended.
NBA return provides timely backdrop
The policy was arrived at after the NBA resumed hosting games in China. In October, the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns played twice in Macao as part of the NBA China Games 2025 – the league’s first events in the country since a six-year freeze that followed a 2019 controversy involving a Houston Rockets executive.
[See more: Suns vs Nets: Here’s what went down on game 1 of the NBA China Games]
The new arrangement will see two preseason NBA games held in Macao annually over the next four years. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said at the time that additional games elsewhere in China were possible in the future, though no further venues have been confirmed.
The NBA China Games in Macao attracted strong attendance and commercial interest, reflecting a reopening of the market for major international sports properties.
Domestic reforms ahead of next CBA season
The CBA has also announced structural updates for the 2025–26 season, including the adoption of full FIBA-standard rules – such as 10-minute quarters – and adjustments to roster and game-format regulations. These changes are intended to bring the domestic league into closer alignment with international competition norms.
[See more: Inside the Asian University Basketball League’s rise with Jay Li]
On the court, however, China faces challenges. The men’s national team lost twice to South Korea last week in the opening round of Asian qualifying for the 2027 FIBA World Cup. Failure to reach that tournament would complicate their route to the 2028 Olympics, despite the new long-term targets.
Part of a broader sports push
While the GASC’s directive outlines ambitions for growth in youth participation and international influence, it does not provide detailed timelines or describe specific investment projects. For now, the move primarily represents a policy opening that could allow foreign organisations greater involvement in China’s basketball landscape if they choose to enter the market.
Foreign leagues, training institutes, and agencies may see opportunities, though concrete partnerships remain rare. However, momentum is building in the exhibition space: Dallas Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont confirmed to the South China Morning Post that the 2026 edition of the NBA events in Macao will feature a Texas showdown between the Mavericks and the Houston Rockets at the Venetian.
[See more: Thrills in Macao as Nets edge Suns 111-109, Texas showdown confirmed for 2026]
These new measures mark a notable shift in tone from Beijing, positioning basketball as a sector where international participation is formally welcomed again as China works to rebuild competitiveness at both the professional and national-team levels.
