Tabling a diplomatic replay

The so-called "ping-pong diplomacy" helped the two nations reconnect and lay the groundwork for the establishment of diplomatic relations.

"Over the years, the Chinese national team and its players have carried on the legacy of ping-pong diplomacy and traveled to many countries ... not only to compete, but in the spirit of friendship to cultivate cordial relations with other peoples," said Zhang.

"I think this visit is very important to promoting friendship between the Chinese and American people," the consul general told the Chinese team.

"Also, here you are helping to improve the American players while also connecting with American society and letting people know that you are friends of the American people."

Virginia Sung, USATT's CEO, is thrilled about what this historic opportunity means for her players.

"When you play with the best of the best, there is so much to learn," she said.

"Our players will learn what it takes to be the best in the world - the technique, discipline, and a fresh perspective on how much dedication, hard work and sacrifice is required to stand on top of the mountain."

Liu Guoliang, president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, said the visit was made possible after USA Table Tennis and the US Olympic Committee suggested a joint training camp during last year's world championships in Budapest, Hungary.

"It's already the 48th anniversary of ping-pong diplomacy, so there's a strong foundation jointly developed by several generations of Chinese and American table tennis people. I think our friendship and the spirit of pingpong diplomacy will continue," Liu said.

Around 30 Chinese - 18 male and 12 female - and 10 American players are participating in the training camp.

Liu said the joint effort helps promote the sport around the world.

"I believe table tennis is not only the national sport of China, it should be the sport of the world. Since China is a major force in the sport, it should have the responsibility to further promote it to the world," he said.

Gao Jun, a Chinese-American who competed for China and is now a coach for Team USA, said there is a large population of ping-pong players in the US.

"A lot of people see it as a form of exercise, but only a few see it as a profession," said Gao.

"Another reason is that you need opponents to practice ping-pong. In the US, everyone has a different schedule, so it can be pretty difficult to get together to play."

Reigning Olympic champ Ma Long is relishing his first visit to the US.

"Ping-pong facilitated the diplomatic relations between China and the US 40 years ago, and I am very honored to represent the Chinese table tennis team in this friendship event," said Ma. "Any political factors between countries should not affect sports exchanges. Sports can only make people-to-people exchanges even smoother."