Why does former 7‑ft‑6‑in basketball star Yao Ming attend China's Two Sessions?

Amid the typically dull roster of chiefly middle‑aged men in suits that compose the almost 3,000 representatives of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s legislature, a handful draw attention it itself.

There are delegates representing China’s fifty‑five recognized ethnic minorities, many arriving in traditional dress instead of western‑style suits. Military personnel are also present, identifiable by their uniforms. Finally, Yao Ming, the 7‑foot‑6‑inch retired basketball star who looms over everyone in the Great Hall of the People, cannot be overlooked. His height and fame make him a conspicuous figure among delegates.

Born in 1980, Yao ranks among China’s most recognizable athletes. Though he spent nearly ten seasons with the Houston Rockets in the United States, his post‑retirement path since hanging up his jersey in 2011 has centred on domestic affairs. From 2017 through 2024 he held the chairmanship of the Chinese Basketball Association. Beginning in 2023, he entered the NPC as an independent representative. He also serves on the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the advisory council that convenes alongside the NPC each early March. His involvement reflects a trend of sports figures transitioning into political and civic roles.

During last year’s NPC session, Yao put forward a proposal to start a digital‑detox initiative for youngsters: a drive encouraging children to abandon their phones for a full day. “It resembles the spring or autumn outings of our own childhood,” he explained. “Previously we aimed to pull kids out of classrooms; now the goal is to pull them away from screens.” in modern society today.

Yao’s extraordinary height means that much of China’s furniture is undersized for him, and the NPC chambers are no exception. In earlier sessions he was observed seated alone in his row, cramped at a desk that fails to accommodate his knees during the lengthy deliberations of the.