US, China goodwill Basketball match ends in brawl

A brawl during what was supposed to be a friendly U.S.-China basketball match is threatening the positive image Washington and Beijing are trying to create during Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to China.The purpose of the exhibition basketball match was to foster goodwill. Instead, online videos of the game showed an all-out brawl between the two teams - the Georgetown Hoyas and the Bayi Rockets.Players from both teams punched and kicked each other. The game was then called off. As the Georgetown team walked off the court, video showed spectators booing and a few throwing cups at the players.Georgetown is a University team from Washington D.C. The Bayi Rockets of Shanghai play in the Chinese Basketball Association, China’s top professional league.Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, left, accompanies his U.S. counterpart Joseph Biden to review an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, August 18, 2011Thursday night’s brawl took place at the same time visiting Vice President Joe Biden was across town banqueting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, who is expected to become China’s next president. The two countries have been working hard to present the relationship as a very good one.