The Politics of Sports Anti-Doping in China: Crisis, Governance and International Compliance

The rise of China has sparked much debate about whether it will be a status quo power or a spoiler. This article examines China's compliance with international rules and norms governing doping in sports. In the 1990s China was at the centre of a series of high-profile doping scandals in the sports world and caused much distress to the international sports regulatory regime. Has the Chinese Government succeeded in cleaning up its international sports or have Chinese athletes become more sophisticated at evading detection? This study concludes that international pressure has prompted the Chinese Government to escalate efforts to curb doping in sports. It offers a unique window on China's governance and its compliance with international rules and norms.