This picture is found from website of http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-03/27/content_553570.htm Two players, America’s Errol Resek and China’s Xu Shaofa, take part in a training session on the 1971 tour of Beijing. (“Chinadaily”)
The original creator of the image snapshot friendly exchange of table tennis (ping pong) skills between two players. In fact, it was not a simply table tennis exchange. In 1971-1972, Chinese and U.S. table tennis teams exchanged visits to each other, which is praised as “ping-pong diplomacy” in the history of Sino-US relations. The visits had opened up the door of friendly civilian exchange between two countries since 1949. It helped end the Cold War between Beijing and Washington. The tour paved the way for Richard Nixon’s visit to Beijing in 1972.
Nobody could foresee a small ping pong would open up the door closed for more than 20 years between China and the U.S. It in fact rocked the globe.
During the 31st World Table Tennis Championships in Japan, one of members from the U.S. national team took a Chinese shuttle bus by mistake going to the competition site. Upon his stepping into the bus, he was welcomed by all Chinese team members. Zhuang Zedong even gave him a Hangzhou brocade as a present. The American team member later gave him a nightgown in return. In April, 1971, the U.S. national team of table tennis expressed to the Chinese national team that they hoped to visit China. Mao readily agreed and sent the invitation. Nixon also accepted it immediately.
The U.S. national table tennis team visiting China became special civilian diplomatic envoy of two countries in the historical conditions at that time. It signifies the unfreezing of Sino-American relations, which made a historic breakthrough. The unfreezing of Sino-American relation is from necessity of common strategic interests. It was because of the conflicts between China and former Soviet Union that sparked the unfreezing of Sino-American relation. Without Zhuang Zedong’s expressing friendship, I think there’re other ways to smooth Sino-American relationship. Ping Pong is Chinese national sport and people can easily accept such way of communication. At that time, it was the best way to deveolp diplomacy relation. As time changes, not so many people play ping pong now. Nowadays, the best way to develop diplomacy relation is to stand on the perspective of economy.