MANILA, Philippines – Ex-NBA star center Yao Ming and his current team, the Shanghai Sharks, conducted basketball diplomacy in the Philippines amid the territorial dispute between Manila and Beijing. The Shanghai Sharks are set to hold games with local teams as part of the Philippines-China "Years of Friendly Exchanges." The agreement was inked in 2011 between President Aquino and then President Hu Jintao. The initiative aims to encourage more people-to-people exchanges to strengthen the understanding and mutual trust between the two countries. -- Mornings @ ANC, May 6, 2013