Institutionalism Prevails: The International Olympic Committee’s Management of the ‘China Question’, 1952–1979

Y. Andrew Hao, Thomas M. Hunt, Matthew T. Bowers

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1 Scopus citations

Abstract

This article examines the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China’s (ROC) battle for China’s sole Olympic membership from the perspective of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It argues that the IOC, an international non-governmental organization, was not merely a venue of the struggle between two state actors, but an active actor that not only defended the interests of the Olympic Movement but also effectively shaped the PRC’s and the ROC’s sport policies. This article then focuses on the IOC’s handling of the ‘China question’ from the 1952 to 1979 through the theoretical framework of transnational relations. The IOC, it argues, managed to push for changes in the PRC’s sport policies in two aspects, namely, domestic sport governance and the status of Taiwan. The achievement of these outcomes resulted from the IOC’s application of its institutional power and mobilization of its extensive transnational network.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)743-760
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Global Sport Management
Volume9
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Global Alliance of Marketing & Management Associations (GAMMA).

Keywords

  • China question
  • Institutionalism
  • Olympic Movement
  • sport governance
  • transnational relations

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