Ping-pong diplomat in final stage of cancer  

乒乓名宿庄则栋癌症病情严重 转院治疗初见效果

中国乒乓名宿、中美“乒乓外交”的见证者庄则栋癌症病情严重。不过，尽管身体衰弱，这位年逾古稀的老人却依旧不改乐观的天性。

Beijing (CNS) -- Celebrated Chinese table tennis player and political personality Zhuang Zedong won't back down from a fight.

"Death is inevitable for everyone," said the three-time world men's singles champion. "For me, fighting is more important. Unless you die, the battle of life is always there."

Zhuang, 70, was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2008 and has received 14 operations since then.

In an interview here in Beijing on Monday, Zhuang thanked government leaders at all levels for helping him during his treatment, and his fans for their continued support.

Zhuang was in the final stage of cancer when he was hospitalized this July, with most of his liver infected by cancer cells and dozens of tumors in his lungs, said Dr. Zheng, who is overseeing Zhuang's treatment.

But after more than three weeks of radiofrequency ablation, Zhuang's jaundice indicator is back to normal and his appetite has improved, Zheng added.

Born in 1942, Zhuang joined the Chinese National Table Tennis team as a teenager. His chance meeting with US table tennis player Glenn Cowan during the 31st World Table Tennis Championship in the early 1970s played an important role in Sino-American relations.