The China men's basketball team arrive in Hangzhou for two warm-up games against Venezuela, ahead of the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup in August. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

The China men's basketball team arrived on July 22 in Hangzhou — capital of East China's Zhejiang province — after flying out from Beijing, to prepare for the upcoming Asian Cup.

They'll have two warm-up games against Venezuela, set for July 24 and 25, at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium.

A 17-player roster was announced ahead of the games, including Hu Jinqiu, Zhao Rui, Xu Jie and Hu Mingxuan. Notably, Zhou Qi was absent due to injury and Yang Hansen, who exited the NBA Summer League early, hasn't rejoined the squad.

The team recently wrapped up a two-week training tour across Europe, where they faced Spanish club teams and the Netherlands. Forward Zeng Fanbo has been ruled out of the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup due to injury.

The matches mark the first meeting between China and Venezuela since the 2019 FIBA World Cup, where China lost 59–72. Venezuela currently ranks 25th in the FIBA standings, with China close behind at 30th.

Held at the Asian Games' basketball final venue, the games promise to be top-flight viewing experiences. Since tickets went on sale on June 10, some 70-80 percent have already been sold, with some sections sold out.

Guo Shiqiang, coach of the China men's basketball team, arrives at the airport. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]