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.