"Ping Pong Diplomacy" anniversary celebrated in Milwaukee, U.S.

In 1971, nine American table tennis players were invited to Beijing for exhibition games with Chinese players, helping break the ice between the two nations and lay the groundwork for the eventual establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Chu Maoming, China's deputy consul general in Chicago, attended the reception and welcomed the delegation, which includes members of the original 1971 delegation.

"This exchange of visits means a lot in the history of China-U.S. relations," Chu said.

"Not only did it break the ice (for China-U.S. diplomatic relations) during the Cold War and end isolation of our two peoples, but also opened the door for the normalization of bilateral diplomatic relations," he said.

Following a welcome dinner, original players replayed their historic matches of 1971, while current elite senior and junior players from the two nations provided showed what the latest generation could do.

Liang Geliang, who played against the U.S. team in Beijing in 1971, told Xinhua the event not only helped the veterans revive old memories, but also strengthened ties among the younger generations. He hoped the younger generation would make continuous efforts to pursue the ping pong spirit and deepen the friendship between two peoples.

Yang Jun, another eye-witness to the historic "Ping-Pong Diplomacy," told Xinhua she noticed table tennis had gained more popularity in the U.S.

"I saw President Obama playing ping pong on TV recently, and I wish USA Olympic Table Tennis Team good luck in the next Olympic games," Yang said.

As the 1971 U.S. team's youngest member, Judy Hoarfrost's memory of the trip is still fresh, she told Xinhua her life had changed after the visit and she became famous in the U.S.

"You never dream you'll be in the history books," she said. Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.xinhuanet.com for full version