Ping-pong meets music in diplomatic tryst

In April 1971, members of a US table tennis team became the first American athletes to visit China before the two countries established diplomatic relations. The sport helped to pave the way for Richard Nixon to come to Beijing in February of the following year. Two months after the US president's visit, Chinese table tennis players were invited to the United States.

The "ping-pong diplomacy" was on display again - this time at Beijing's Poly Theater, where players and musicians from both countries gathered on Thursday to perform a show cheering Sino-US exchanges of the early 1970s.

Co-commissioned by the Beijing Music Festival and Shanghai's Music in Summer Air festival, the Ping-Pong Concerto witnessed an orchestra, violin soloist, a percussionist and two table tennis players working together. A real table for the match was set in front of the members of China Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Zhang Yi's podium.