ABSTRACT
With the transformation of China from a planned economy to a socialist market economy, Chinese elite sport entered a period of market-oriented reform. This chapter takes Chinese football and table tennis as research subjects to discuss and analyse how these two sport have been reformed, guided by the principles of pragmatism and a market-oriented economy. It points out that in comparison with a radical ‘demolish, then build’ strategy, a relatively conservative ‘build, then demolish’ reform model, based on China’s original state-run sport system, is more suitable for the reform of elite sport in China; moreover, adoption of pragmatism and market principles can only be a guiding notion for the development of Chinese elite sport, not the ultimate goal.
