International sports stars are creating more excitement among their already solid fan base in China by reaching out to them on social media.

Citing the advantages of interactive and instant communication, an increasing number of foreign sports celebrities have set up micro blog accounts, hoping to strengthen emotional ties with their Chinese fan base.

The latest was NBA star Kobe Bryant, who on Friday opened his personal account on Sina Weibo, the most popular micro-blogging platform in China. The number of his followers had rocketed to more than 300,000 on Friday afternoon.