|
Diplomatic Symphony:
On the day Zhou Enlai welcomed the American ping-pong team in Beijing, President Nixon announced the termination of the twenty-year-old embargo on China. He also ordered a series of steps taken for easing currency and shipping controls applying to China. The glacier that isolated the two nations started to melt[1]. |
[1]Liu, Yanfeng. A new type of China-US relations is not an empty concept. 3 Mar.2003. China.org.cn
|
People-to-People Diplomacy
“This event can be viewed as a typical “People-to-people Diplomacy.” Even though it had political aim, serving for diplomacy between two countries, it did not conduct by officials but non-government groups.” |
Dr. Chaobin QiuChinese Academy of Social Science
|
|
[2]"Ping Pong Diplomacy: 40 Years Later.” YouTube, uploaded by Chinadailyus, 30 Aug. 2012
|
The uniqueness of Ping-Pong diplomacy became known as the “people-to-people” initiative. Since the exchange was primarily between sports teams, Americans saw the Chinese invitation as a desire for communication with no political overtones. This allowed Chinese and American diplomats to escape sensitive issues like the Vietnam War. The games engaged citizens of both countries and built a sense of camaraderie between the two nations' people, which would be a foundation for further development in the diplomatic relations. Years later, people still remember this story fondly[2]. |