The U.S. player, who is very popular in Asia and once practised hitting a ball against the Great Wall of China in an advertising campaign, will be part of the bid to bring the Games to the world's most populous country for the first time.
Chang commented: "I am deeply honoured to be Goodwill Ambassador to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Bid. I believe it will bring a legacy to the people of China should the Olympics be held in Beijing. My heritage will always remain from China and I understand how enthusiastic the Chinese people are about sport and how determined the Chinese people are towards Olympic spirit."
Beijing is the favourite to win the International Olympic Committee (IOC) vote in Moscow on July 13 but faces opposition from strong bids from rivals Toronto and Paris. Japan's Osaka and Istanbul, the other cities in the vote, are regarded as outsiders.
Beijing's bid has come under fire from U.S lawmakers and Tibetan protestors in the last few months who have criticised the country's record on human rights. Last week the IOC said it had received threatening letters, allegedly from a ‘faction of the Tibetan Youth Congress’, warning IOC members of attacks if they vote for the Chinese capital. The Tibetan Youth Congress has denied the allegation.
Former French Open tennis champion Michael Chang, whose family hails from China, is to act as a Goodwill Ambassador for Beijing's bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, bid officials have stated.
