China tells US it wants more cooperation as it marks 50th anniversary of ‘ping pong diplomacy’

Ambassador to Washington Cui Tiankai says the two countries should revive the spirit of mutual respect that categorised the 1971 exchange

US team’s trip to China helped pave the way for Richard Nixon’s landmark visit the following year

Reading Time:2 minutes

American and Chinese players train together in 1971. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:26pm, 11 Apr 2021Updated: 5:04pm, 13 Apr 2021

The Chinese ambassador to the US Cui Tiankui has celebrated the 50th anniversary of the unlikely sports exchange known as “ping pong diplomacy” by urging the two countries to revive the spirit of the occasion.

In 1971, at the world table tennis world championships in Japan, the Chinese team surprised the American athletes with an invitation to play in China.

The two countries had had no diplomatic or economic relations for more than two decades since the establishment of the People’s Republic and the outbreak of the Korean war.

But the invitation came at a fortuitous time, with China at odds with the Soviet Union and US president Richard Nixon trying to end his country’s involvement in Vietnam, an area where he hoped Beijing could exert its influence.

The sporting contacts helped pave the way for the following year’s visit by Richard Nixon (pictured with premier Zhou Enlai). Photo: Xinhua

The resulting visit by the US table tennis delegation to Beijing on 10 April 1971 heralded the start of the normalisation of relations, including Nixon’s visit to China the following year.