2010-11-07 21:33:57
CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Liu Bing
Table tennis, or Ping pong as it's known in China, may seem like an unimportant sport to some. But 40 years ago, so-called ping pong diplomacy- which saw player exchanges between the U.S. and China- set the stage for a thawing of relations and 1972's historic visit by Richard Nixon.
Today the tradition of ping pong diplomacy is alive and well. The latest event to bring the international community together took place on Nov 6th at the Beijing Gymnasium.
The event kicked off with speeches by some of the sponsors.
The guest of honor at the opening ceremony was Dr Deng Yaping, 4 time Olympic gold medalist.
After the speeches, Dr Deng was invited to take part in an exhibition match with Ahmed Latheef, the Maldives Ambassador to China and former national champion of his country.
All 95 players, from a total of 35 embassies, then lined up for a photo session.
The event has taken place twice before- first to mark the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and then to celebrate 60 years of the PRC in 2009. Ambassador Latheef explains the purpose of the 2010 gathering.
Hopefully, other countries around the world can take a leaf out of China¡¯s book and hold their very own sporting events for diplomats. For now, however, the ball is well, and truly in Beijing's court.
Kunqu Opera Experience the charm of Kunqu Opera, one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera.
Melody over the Pacific A concert marking the 40th Anniversary of Richard Nixon's visit to China.
Traditional Guqin The guqin, a seven-stringed plucked zither, is China's oldest stringed instrument.
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