China

World Snooker has announced that the China Open will become only the second tournament to offer £1m (€1.13m/$1.36m) in prize money after sealing a new hosting agreement with joint promoters Star Xing Pai and Beijing Fuhua Culture Tourism Development.

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has today (Thursday) announced that its season-ending Finals event will be held in the Chinese city of Shenzhen from 2019.

The World Curling Federation (WCF) has revealed that the competition previously known as the World Series of Curling will now become the Curling World Cup.

Chinese sportswear company Peak Sports has partnered with Xiamen Culture and Broadcast Media Group to launch a sports investment fund.

The Guardia di Finanza, Italy’s financial police, have submitted reports about possible suspicious activities in relation to the sale of Italian Serie A football club AC Milan to a group of Chinese investors last year.

In this week's China sports industry round-up: North Korea's Pyeongchang involvement inches closer; referendum could create ‘Team Taiwan’ at next Olympics ; and state claims sport industry generated RMB 1.9tn in 2016.

In this week's China sports industry round-up: Wanda considers sport asset flotation in HK; China plays central role in North-South Korea Olympic talks; and Football Finance 100 overestimates Chinese clubs.

René Fasel, the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, has called on NHL players to push the North American league into allowing them to compete at the 2022 winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

The Chinese Basketball Association has entered into a global data partnership with Beitai Digital, the exclusive Chinese partner of sports and betting-related services company Sportradar.

Chinese conglomerate Wanda Group is mulling a Hong Kong listing for its sports assets as part of efforts to restructure its portfolio, according to Reuters.

The Dallas Mavericks have taken on a new identity for Chinese-speaking regions, with other NBA basketball franchises poised to follow suit in what is a key market for the North American league.

Major League Baseball (MLB) has today (Friday) signed a 10-year partnership with Beijing Enterprises Real-Estate Group (BEREGL) which will seek to further boost the sport’s development in China through investment in infrastructure.

The organising committees of the next two editions of the winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang, Korea and Beijing in China have signed a cooperative agreement that is designed to maximise the potential of both events.

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has added two new US tournaments, and one in China, to its 2018 calendar, stating that plans are in place for a further three new events in 2019, two of which will offer “unique formats”.

The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) has agreed a deal with the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) for Shenzhen to host the 3x3 Asia Cup until 2021.

The PGA Tour has signed a long-term partnership with Chinese agency Shankai Sports that will aid the return of its PGA Tour China Series next year.