On Tuesday, a cultural exchange event commemorating the 55th anniversary of Ping-Pong diplomacy between China and the United States was held at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington, USA. The event was jointly organized by the China Media Group (CMG), the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the China Table Tennis Association, and co-hosted by the US-China Youth and Student Exchange Association. Nearly 500 guests attended.
President CMG Shen Haixiong, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng, President Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries Yang Wanming and the President Chinese Table Tennis Association Wang Liqin delivered a video message.
Guests included the Chinese Consul General in San Francisco Zhang Jianmin and former member of the U.S. Table Tennis Team Connie Sweeris, who witnessed Ping-Pong diplomacy firsthand, and both delivered speeches.
President CMG Shen Haixiong He recalled that 55 years ago, a small ping-pong ball opened the way for mutual understanding between the people of China and the US and created the remarkable story of „a small ball moves a big ball“. Then, during his visit to the US ten years ago, President Xi Jinping encouraged American youths to travel to China, giving a new impetus to Sino-American friendship. Shen stressed that China-U.S. friendship depends on strong people-to-people exchanges rooted in mutual understanding, and that the hope for the future of China-U.S. relations lies with the young generation.
Chinese Ambassador to the USA Xie Feng He said Ping-Pong diplomacy 55 years ago opened the way for friendly exchanges between the people of the two countries and eventually the development of bilateral relations. This spirit is now being renewed through new forms such as pickleball diplomacy and basketball diplomacy. More than 40,000 young Americans, including Lincoln High School students, have visited China as part of the „50,000 in Five Years“ initiative and have become goodwill ambassadors across the Pacific.
Xie expressed the hope that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China and the US will advance step by step to transform the common vision of bilateral relations into a mutually beneficial reality that will bring concrete benefits to both nations and enhance stability and positive energy in the world.
President Yang Wanming stressed that although the ping-pong ball is small, its significance for Sino-US relations is profound. In his view, the strategic vision, political courage and people-to-people friendship that Ping-Pong diplomacy has embodied should be continued and further strengthened. He also highlighted the long-standing ties between the City of Tacoma and China, which demonstrate that regardless of the evolution of Sino-American relations, the global trend toward peace and cooperation has not changed, nor has the desire of the Chinese and American people for mutual understanding and exchange.
Consul General of China in San Francisco Zhang Jianmin recalled the historical significance of events 55 years ago when „a small ball moved a big ball“, breaking the ice between China and the US and opening the way for people-to-people exchanges. He encouraged everyone to draw wisdom from the spirit of „Friendship first, competition later“ and guided by the vision of President Xi Jinping, that „the hope of Sino-US relations lies in the people“, they continued to actively support and participate in the China-US exchange.
President Wang Liqin z Chinese Table Tennis Association recalled that 55 years ago, the friendly interaction between the Chinese and American table tennis teams contributed to a significant chapter in the development of Sino-US relations. The Chinese Table Tennis Association and the national table tennis team will continue to spread the spirit of Ping-Pong diplomacy, promote exchanges and cooperation in sports, and strengthen mutual understanding and friendship between the two nations through table tennis, a common „language“.
Former member of the U.S. table tennis team Connie Sweeris said the experience 55 years ago is still vivid in her memory and she is honored to have been able to contribute to Sino-American relations through Ping-Pong diplomacy. She added that everyone has the opportunity to become an ambassador of people-to-people exchanges between the U.S. and China.
Guests at the event played a friendly game on a ping-pong table that was donated to Lincoln High School during the president's visit Xi Jinping in the U.S. in 2015, and watched a commemorative video created CMG on the 55th anniversary of Ping-Pong diplomacy. Participants expressed their hope that the tradition of Ping-Pong diplomacy will continue and contribute to deeper friendship and greater mutual understanding between the people of China and the US.
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