But last week, Yao Ming, the 7-foot-6 Shanghai-born N.B.A. star, went slightly out on a limb. He declared at a Beijing press conference held by WildAid, the conservation group, that he had had it with shark fin soup, pledging never to eat it again. (free registration is required)

Two things are insteresting about this article to me. First, in my many years of living in China I have never known anyone to have eaten or wanting to eat Shark Fin soup. Second, and more importantly, I think that Yao’s “coming out” against Shark Fin soup is important for Chinese culture by showing that a major star can make a somewhat political (albeit safe) stand that demonstrates intelligence. Moreover it shows that a star can be independent and have his own ideas of what makes a better world rather then just following the public relations masters. Perhaps then this small step in celebrity activism will spur others in China to take up even more important stands on subjects important to them but not necessarily the “powers that be.” This to me would be an important step in the Chinese development that I read about everyday but rarely see in reality. The big test will be what the average Chinese citizen makes of Yao’s stance (if they get a chance to know it)? Will they consider it a true personal decision or simply a result of the “Americanization” many consider him to have adopted since coming over to the NBA?

Yao Ming – Endangered Species