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Beginning
In the spring of 1971, a Chinese ping-pong team went to Nagoya, Japan, for the 31st World Table Tennis Championship [1]. It was the first time a Chinese sports team competed abroad since the Cultural Revolution. Before leaving, Premier Zhou Enlai instructed team members to build friendships with other countries‘ teams so China could “rejoin the international family.” Because of its quasi-political mission, the team was required to report to Beijing three times daily. Comparatively, the American team left the home country quietly[2], coming with pure team spirit and much less experience. |
[1]Wang, Taipin. Chinese Ping-Pong Team In Japan, 1971.4. People.com
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[2]The United State Table Tennis Association was still too poor to send a team, and players were paying their own way..."there were no expectation." Some members of the USTTA had even wondered if it was worth sending such a poor team.
- Nicholas Griffin, Ping-Pong Diplomacy, P181-182
Interaction
During the tournament, the American team’s friendly attitude towards the Chinese team astonished the Chinese who still lived under the shadow of the Cultural Revolution. The team members believed that contact with Americans was dangerous and initially maintained their distance from the American team.
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An Unexpected Gift On April 4, a young American player, Glenn Cowan, accidentally took the Chinese team's bus. When the bus fell silent, Zhuang Zedong—a three-time world champion—approached Cowan, shook hands, and offered him a gift: a silk scarf [3]. When the two men stepped down from the bus together, photographers recorded the moment [4]. |
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Zhuang Zedong recalled his thought at that moment, “Ping-pong diplomacy review part1.” Youtube, uploaded by LAPP101
[3]Glenn Cowan and Zhuang Zedong. Los Angeles
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[4]The Asahi Shimbun. Start of Ping-Pong Diplomacy. 4 Apr. 1971. Getty Images,
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Surprise Invitation
News of the incident reached Chairman Mao. After thoughtful consideration, he decided the crucial moment for improved Sino-American relations had come. He sent an emergency message to Nagoya, giving clear instructions to “invite the American team to China.” The surprised and delighted American team accepted the invitation.