Fifty years of Ping-Pong Diplomacy celebrated(2)

U.S. statesman Henry Kissinger, speaking in a video message, recalled that as national security adviser to former president Richard Nixon, he and the president had "ambivalent feelings" about the private initiative taken by the U.S. table tennis team to get invited to visit China.

However, Kissinger noted, the visit went spectacularly well, with the athletes behaving like junior diplomats and their Chinese hosts being extraordinarily friendly and hospitable.

"So, the ping-pong team went to China on a self-appointed diplomatic mission and made a great contribution. I want the table tennis community to know that even the seemingly peripheral events can contribute to international understanding and to peace among two great nations," Kissinger said.

Gou Zhongwen, head of the General Administration of Sport of China and chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee, and U.S. Olympic& Paralympic Committee President Susanne Lyons also sent greetings via video.

"Let's learn from the history of Ping-Pong Diplomacy and re-create a new chapter for the new era. Let sports bridge the two peoples and bond us together through heart-to-heart friendship," Gou said.

Zheng Huaiying and Liang Geliang, members of the 1971 Chinese table tennis team, sent their video greetings from China to their longtime U.S. friends Connie Sweeris and Judy Hoarfrost, both of whom were members of the U.S. table tennis team that made the historic trip to China in 1971.

As witnesses and participants of Ping-Pong Diplomacy, "we expect the bilateral relations will move forward in a healthy way to benefit both peoples," said Zheng.

"Through the ping-pong ball, we made friends with American people and athletes, and we also made friends with the people of other countries. I am very happy," Liang said.

Hoarfrost said she had played a virtual table tennis match with Liang during the pandemic and looked forward to meeting with Liang and Zheng next year at the World Table Tennis Championships in Chengdu, Sichuan province. She added that she hopes Ping-Pong Diplomacy will continue with the young generation.

"It's their legacy to carry it forward. So I say to them, compete fiercely, play joyfully, make friends and be a ping-pong diplomat," Hoarfrost said.

Sweeris shared with the audience her fond memory of meeting with then premier Zhou Enlai, who told the U.S. athletes that "it's a great joy to greet friends from afar".

"That friendship has lasted 50 years, and my hope is that going forward, this friendship will be carried on by our current players and future generations," Sweeris said.

At the celebration, the four participants in the 1971 Ping-Pong Diplomacy were awarded for their contribution to U.S.-China relations.

To the cheers of the crowd, Liu Guoliang, the president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, and Virginia Sung, CEO of the U.S. Table Tennis Association, played a short match.

Then, to more cheers, Chinese table tennis contestant Fan Zhendong, who ranks No 1 in men's world rankings, teamed up with Sweeris and played against past WTTC champion Wang Hao and Hoarfrost.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee also welcomed the guests.

"We value friendship, we value diplomacy, we want you to feel very, very welcome," Turner said.