Shanghai hosts Sino-US Youth Table Tennis exchange program

"Xiao Qiu Da Ai", a sports exchange activity which literally means "small ball, big love", was held in Shanghai on June 16, commemorating the China-US Table Tennis Diplomacy decades ago.

The Youth Table Tennis exchange program, aims to revisit the history of the 1971 "Ping Pong Diplomacy" that started the normalization in China-United States relations, and renew the chapter of friendship in the new era through table tennis exchanges.

Honorary President of the International Table Tennis Federation Xu Yinsheng and Vice President of the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries Su Lin attended the activity.

Su pointed out that this activity has built a good platform for Chinese and American youth to continue the tradition of ping pong diplomacy, to further understand each other and the world in the sports competition of "friendship first, competition second".

She further stated that from the publication of the "Shanghai Communiqué" in 1972 to the increasing number of US-funded enterprises investing in Shanghai, all this not only highlights the important position of Shanghai in China-US relations, but also proves that the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has deep roots, and such cooperation is the will of the people.

Su sincerely hoped that the US young generation will share what they have seen and heard in China with more American friends, be a messenger of Sino-American friendship, and work together to create a better future for the world.

During the activity, representatives of Chinese and American students exchanged souvenirs symbolizing the relay of friendship across the Pacific Ocean. At the ceremonial first serve, four groups of Chinese and American guests swung the racket together, indicating the intergenerational inheritance of the spirit of 54 years of ping pong diplomacy. Afterwards, the young people began exchanging ping pong balls, conveying their understanding and respect.

The Vice Chancellor of New York University Shanghai, Jeffrey Lehman, and Cary Anderson, Executive Vice Chancellor of Wenzhou-Kean University, described the profound impact of ping pong diplomacy.

Lehman said that "difference is the starting point of conversation", while Anderson affirmed that the activity helped the youth to understand the relationship between China and the US.

Spinning great love through table tennis, the tournament has injected new vitality into building a peaceful and prosperous world, demonstrating the unique charm of sports across borders.