A group of veteran athletes and sportsmen, who were witnesses to
the historic "Ping-Pong diplomacy" between China and the US are to
gather in Beijing on Sunday to remember those memorable days.
Some 35 years ago in 1971, a US table-tennis team paid a visit
to China after many years of estrangement and antagonism between
the two countries, shocking the entire world and also opening the
door to China-US people-to-people contacts.
In fall the same year, the then US Secretary of State Henry
Kissinger visited China, followed by the historic visit by then
President Richard Nixon in 1972.
An announcement made by the Chinese Table Tennis Association on
Friday says that a 25-member US delegation, headed by the president
of the United States Table Tennis Association, will conduct a
goodwill tour to China from March 26 to April 4, according to the
China News Service.
The delegation includes seven diplomats who took part in the
"Ping-Pong diplomacy" in 1971, and their relatives, as well as some
table tennis players and coaches.
During the 10-day visit, the American guests will hold
discussions with their Chinese counterparts about the history of
"Ping-Pong diplomacy" and exchanges between the table tennis teams
of both countries in the past 35 years.
As part of the celebration, a series of ping-pong matches will
be played by Chinese and US athletes. These will be held in Beijing
on March 29, in Shanghai on March 31 and in Changshu, east China's
Jiangsu Province on April 2.
US and Chinese representatives will also plant redwood trees in
Changshu at the end of the celebrations. A redwood, symbolizing
Sino-US friendly ties, was presented by President Richard Nixon to
the Chinese leadership during his visit to China in 1972, which
paved the way for the normalization of bilateral relations.
(CRI March 25, 2006)