A group of veteran athletes and sportsmen, who were witnesses to the historic "Ping-Pong diplomacy" between China and the US are to gather in Beijing on Sunday to remember those memorable days.

 

Some 35 years ago in 1971, a US table-tennis team paid a visit to China after many years of estrangement and antagonism between the two countries, shocking the entire world and also opening the door to China-US people-to-people contacts.

 

In fall the same year, the then US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger visited China, followed by the historic visit by then President Richard Nixon in 1972.

 

An announcement made by the Chinese Table Tennis Association on Friday says that a 25-member US delegation, headed by the president of the United States Table Tennis Association, will conduct a goodwill tour to China from March 26 to April 4, according to the China News Service.

 

The delegation includes seven diplomats who took part in the "Ping-Pong diplomacy" in 1971, and their relatives, as well as some table tennis players and coaches.

 

During the 10-day visit, the American guests will hold discussions with their Chinese counterparts about the history of "Ping-Pong diplomacy" and exchanges between the table tennis teams of both countries in the past 35 years.

 

As part of the celebration, a series of ping-pong matches will be played by Chinese and US athletes. These will be held in Beijing on March 29, in Shanghai on March 31 and in Changshu, east China's Jiangsu Province on April 2.

 

US and Chinese representatives will also plant redwood trees in Changshu at the end of the celebrations. A redwood, symbolizing Sino-US friendly ties, was presented by President Richard Nixon to the Chinese leadership during his visit to China in 1972, which paved the way for the normalization of bilateral relations.

 

(CRI March 25, 2006)