Yao Ming attends a press conference with others for China's top political advisory body in Beijing. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

Former NBA player Yao Ming is promoting the importance of PE classes in the whole curriculum.

He says the biggest problem of China's sports development now is separation from campus.

During a press conference when asked about football lagging behind many other countries, he points out that the development of the sports industry does not depend on the amount of money spent.

At the same time, he also jokes about his "envy" towards the government emphasis on football, as the country's leading group on reform kicked off a plan to improve China's football performance by reviving the popularity of the sport in schools.

According to the plan, more efforts will be made at the grassroots level to nurture young talents and to ensure the integration of professional clubs, school teams, and amateur teams.

China's national team has failed to qualify in the football World Cup for the past decade.