Chinese AIDS Initiative(CAI) - October 13, 2004
Adrien Fraise (CAI): 212-584-5008; Kathy Behrens (NBA): 212-407-8127

NEW YORK - The Chinese AIDS Initiative (CAI), an alliance of Chinese and international partners dedicated to helping China accelerate its response to HIV/AIDS, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) will jointly release a series of television announcements promoting HIV/AIDS awareness in China on October 14, in conjunction with the first-ever NBA games to be played in that country. The ads, the first of their kind to be broadcast on the Chinese mainland, feature Houston Rockets' NBA All-Star Yao Ming and Basketball Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

Yao Ming is a hero both in his native China and in the U.S., where he is the starting center for the Houston Rockets. Magic Johnson, a former L.A. Lakers superstar, disclosed his own HIV-positive status in 1991 and has worked to raise AIDS awareness on a worldwide basis ever since.

The 30-, 45- and 60-second PSAs are designed to help educate Chinese citizens about HIV/AIDS prevention and dispel common misconceptions about how the disease is transmitted. In the four English and Chinese language ads, Yao and Magic play basketball together, embrace and share a meal...each an important visual confirmation that HIV/AIDS is not transmitted casually. Viewers are then encouraged to visit www.aids333.com, a Chinese-language AIDS information website that will launch with the campaign on October 14.

"China is taking action to address HIV/AIDS, but the epidemic there is still growing rapidly," noted Dr. David Ho, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, the principal organizer of the Chinese AIDS Initiative. "Today, there is a small window of opportunity to change the course of this epidemic in the world's most populous nation. Education, especially for young people, is key to slowing this epidemic in China."

"Yao Ming and Magic Johnson are internationally known and admired," noted NBA Senior Vice President of Community Relations Kathy Behrens. "Both men generously agreed to join us in this effort to utilize the popularity of NBA basketball in China and deliver a lifesaving message: that HIV can be stopped if everyone learns the facts about preventing the disease, and that people with HIV deserve support, compassion and care."

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that 10-20 million Chinese will be infected with HIV by the year 2010 unless immediate action is taken to prevent the disease's spread.

The Chinese AIDS Initiative has been involved in several high-profile advocacy and public awareness events in China. In November 2003, CAI organized the Tsinghua Summit on HIV/AIDS with former U.S. President Bill Clinton, the first international meeting of senior Chinese officials in developing a high-level national response to the epidemic. Shortly thereafter, on December 1, 2003, Chinese leaders including Premier Wen Jiabao publicly commemorated World AIDS Day by embracing people living with HIV/AIDS, a substantial step forward in the government's recognition of and response to the growing Chinese epidemic.

About the China AIDS Initiative

Established in 2003, the China AIDS Initiative is a partnership between the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, William J. Clinton Foundation, Tsinghua University, Yale-China Association, Harvard University, The China AIDS Media Project, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS), Chinese Ministry of Health, Wuhan University, Chi Heng Foundation, provincial bureaus of health, a network of NGOs and other partners. The Initiative employs a comprehensive approach to HIV/AIDS prevention, advocacy, education and treatment in China.

Today, CAI is playing an increasingly important role in galvanizing China's new leaders to prioritize AIDS by encouraging policy reform to reduce discrimination, developing campaigns to educate vulnerable populations and advocating greater public investment. For more information on the CAI, visit www.chinaaidsinitiative.org.

About the National Basketball Association

Since its founding in 1946, the NBA has truly become a global phenomenon that transcends national boundaries. With 30 teams in the United States and Canada, NBA games and related programming are broadcast to 212 countries in 42 languages; they are one of the largest suppliers of sports television and Internet programming in the world. The NBA is a recognized leader in global sports marketing with 13 offices around the world. For more information on the NBA, visit NBA.com/china or NBA.com.

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