Big Names Commemorate China-US Ping Pong Diplomacy In New York

Phto: Eastday

When most of the Chines table tennis national team members and coaches are either heading to the Austrian Open or competing at Asian Cup in India, Liangeuoliang, Yan Sen, Wang Hao, Ding Ning and many big names in the Chinese table tennis world had a friendly match in the headquarter of UN in New York to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the China-US Ping Pong Diplomacy.

UN staff took picture with Olympic champion Ding Ning and Wang Hao after the friendly match
Photo: UN Weibo

Witness of the Ping Pong Diplomacy Liang Geliang and Zheng Huaiying attended the activity.
Photo: UN Weibo

UN staff teamed up with Olympic champion and played a friendly match
Photo: UN Weibo

When the Small Ball Spins the Big Ball -- Ping Pong Diplomacy

It started on 4 April, 1971 at the World Table Tennis Championships in Nagoya, Japan. American table tennis athlete Glenn Cowan flagged down a bus to the main stadium after a practice session. He realized he had made a mistake as he was the only American on the bus while the others were Chinese athletes. Relations between the US and China was hostile back in those days (the cold war era) and China was in the mist of cultural revolution. There was a distinct sense of embarrassment in the air until world champion table tennis player Zhuang Zedong  broke the ice by starting a conversation (with the help of interpreters) with Cowan and presented Hangzhou brocade, a silk product with city scenery on it, as a gift. The Japanese journalist captured the moment when they stepped out of the bus. A few days later, Cowan gave Zhuang Zedong a T-shirt with a peace symbol above the words 'LET IT BE' in return. 

Photo: Latitude news

The unprecedented chat on the big bus has helped the normalization of the Sino-US relations. In 1972 February, President Nixon visited China while in April in that year, Zhuang Zedong and his teammates visited the US to display 'Ping-Pong diplomacy'.

Ping-Pong diplomacy symbolized a pivotal moment in Chinese history. It opens the door of China and has linked up the US and China.