Sports figures in both China and the U.S. have hailed the spirit of Ping-pong diplomacy, and vowed to carry on the legacy to promote people-to-people exchanges, at an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Ping-pong diplomacy in Beijing over the weekend. 

Ping-pong diplomacy refers to the sporting initiatives that broke the ice after two decades of estranged Sino-U.S. relations and eventually led to the normalization of bilateral ties in the 1970s.  

At the conclusion of the 31st World Championships in Nagoya, Japan and at the invitation of the Chinese table tennis team, the U.S. table tennis team arrived in China on April 10, 1971, the first American group to visit since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. 

The Chinese team paid a return visit the following year.   

Former table tennis player Li Furong, who was part of the historic moment, recalled the memory, "When we were given the mission to visit the U.S., Premier Zhou Enlai told us 'Friendship first, competition second'. Our goal was not victory, but to build friendships. Table tennis was not just a sport, but a way to serve our country's diplomacy." 

He went on to say, "When we were in the U.S., we had a warm reception from President Richard Nixon, Dr. Henry Kissinger and others. It left a deep impression on me. Especially when President Nixon said at the White House's Rose Garden, there was no win or loss in the competition, but it was the victory of the Chinese and American people.”

Liu Guoliang, president of Chinese Table Tennis Association, said the sport still plays an important part to bridge China with the world in contemporary times. 

"As a major powerhouse in table tennis, China has the responsibility to help other countries develop the sport…We are preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, and after the pandemic, we will launch more international training camps, including for teenage players. This is what we should do to promote table tennis in the world."

He also revealed that a 2.0 version of Ping-pong diplomacy is alive, "I talked with Jorgen Persson (famous former Swedish table tennis player) about a week ago, and we hope to advance China-Europe table tennis cooperation by exchanges between coaches and players."

Table tennis is not the only sport that contributed to the development of Sino-U.S. in the course of history. In 1979, NBA champions Washington Bullets made a historic visit to China, becoming the first professional U.S. sports team to be invited to the country. They interacted with Chinese professional players as well as ordinary people, deepening understanding between the two countries. 

Nowadays, basketball is still pivotal in increasing mutual understanding. Former New York Knicks guard and two-time NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury has lived in China for 11 years. As the head coach of CBA's Beijing Royal Fighters, the 44-year-old is the first foreign basketball player to be granted a Chinese green card in 2015. 

"My life has been great here in China, it's been a second way for me to be able to not only play basketball, but to live a life. I've had the opportunity to grow as a human being here, because of being in a different culture, learning about how other people live. I've learned a lot living here.” 

Drawing inspiration from history, sports can act as a universal language, and is still regarded as an effective way to enhance friendship and cooperation, manage differences to maintain world peace and stability.  

Reporter: Li Jing

Videographer and Video Editor: Zhang Rongyi