Table tennis still fosters friendship between youth from China, US

SHANGHAI — University students from China and the United States gathered in Shanghai for friendship matches at the China Table Tennis Museum on Tuesday morning.

As the two countries celebrate their 45th year of diplomatic relations, table tennis has reconnected young people from the two nations once again.

The 12 students from the University of Virginia examined displays at the museum before the games, soaking in historical context for their friendly matches ahead.

The students paused at exhibits of the meeting that took place in April 1971, when nine members of the US table tennis team made history by traveling to China, becoming the first delegation of Americans to visit the country since 1949, when New China was founded. The next year, then-US president Richard Nixon made his first visit to China as head of state.

At a reception held in April 1972 for the Chinese table tennis team visiting the US, Nixon said the real winner "will be the friendship between the people of the United States and the people of the People's Republic of China".

The parallels of these tours were not lost on the UVA students.

"It was inspiring to hear about the history of ping-pong and how ping-pong was so crucial in the US-China relations at the start of it," says Misa Layne, a UVA sophomore.

"If we want to have better relations in the future, we really need people-to-people exchanges."

UVA freshman Keane Tao smiled at his partner Yin Tianyue, a student at Shanghai University of Sport, after winning the first group stage games and said: "Our group was really competitive. This man has pretty much carried me throughout the entire thing."

Yin says: "Friendship is more important than competition. Learning from such a wonderful friend is an enormous honor."

Throughout animated rallies, the constant encouragement from each other kept players' nerves at bay. Their budding rapport reflected the goodwill sowed decades prior, which continues to nourish ties today.

"If the general population of the two countries understand each other much better, then I could see how the governments would be more willing to cooperate later on in the future," says Paul McKissock, a third-year UVA student, expressing his belief that what they are doing is crucial.

The exchange is part of UVA students' "ping-pong diplomacy tour", which attempts to better understand the role that cultural and educational exchanges, as well as civilian interactions, have had in the development of China-US relations. They have already traveled to Hong Kong and Beijing, and Shanghai was their last destination.

According to Stephen Mull, vice-provost for global affairs at the University of Virginia, more than 40 students applied for this tour. Many wish to visit China in person since they want to get a better understanding of the country.

Fu Jihong, vice-president of Shanghai People's Association for Friendship With Foreign Countries adds that "we name this activity as 'rekindling ping-pong diplomacy', which implies our hopes of using table tennis to strengthen ties between young people in China and the US. They hold the key to our future".

This youth exchange aims to foster ties through sports, as was done in 1971.

"I think that our political leaders need that now as much — maybe more," says Bruce Reynolds, a retired UVA professor who lives in Shanghai and greeted the Chinese table tennis team during its 1972 US visit.

"Just as I did when I first came to China as a young person, they will have an impact just as individuals," he says.

"They will talk to their friends and family about their China experience, and about how warm and wonderful the people were. That will have an impact."

Zheng Zheng contributed to this story.