Legacy of Ping-Pong Diplomacy stands test of time

After 55 years, players see vast changes in US and China, while friendships endure

By ZHANG YUNBI in Beijing and HE QI in Shanghai | CHINA DAILY | Updated: 2026-04-21 07:32
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The US table tennis team poses for a photo at the Summer Palace in Beijing in 1971. BETTMANN ARCHIVE

Xu Yinsheng, another Chinese table tennis national team player in 1971 and honorary life chairman of the International Table Tennis Federation, said time has aged the witnesses to the historic sporting event, but their friendship endures.

"Grassroots activities must continue to uphold and pass on this friendship regardless of the divergences between the two nations. Peace and friendship are our core principles."

He noted that while communication was once limited to in-person meetings, phone calls and text messages, young people today connect in new and more effective ways.

"Technology will introduce new exciting elements to table tennis, and the future pattern of exchanges will be far more diverse," he said.

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