PING PONG DIPLOMACY – OVER 40 YEARS AGO

KyaemonJuly 10, 201111min2194

“NATIONS HAVE NO PERMANENT ENEMIES NOR PERMANENT FRIENDS. NATIONS HAVE ONLY INTERESTS,” IS A FAMOUS SAYING BY A WESTERN STATESMAN.

NIXON AND KISSINGER’S OUTREACH TO CHINA WAS MEANT TO CONTAIN A POWERFUL AND MENACING RUSSIA.

IT SUCCEEDED!

IT PAVED THE WAY FOR THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL AND OF THE IRON CURTAIN AND EVENTUAL USSR’S IMPLOSION.

Photos: 40th anniversary of pingpong diplomacy – latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-ping-pong-diplomacy9-pictures,0,1927495.photogallery

 Pingpong diplomacy: When ‘the little ball moved the big ball’ – latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-ping-pong-diplomacy-20110709,0,2306489.story

On Friday the Richard Nixon Foundation commemorated the 40th anniversary of what became known as pingpong diplomacy — though the more formal name of the sport is table tennis. The day’s program featured two rematches between the Chinese and American players who initiated Sino-American relations using their paddles and feather-weight balls. A packed morning at the Nixon Library included everything from speeches to Chinese drum girl performances to high-level table tennis matches. Players signed autographs and one travel-study group from Beijing filled a third of the stands.

“It is the pingpong that got the two countries together,” said Qiu Shaofang, China’s consul general in Los Angeles. “It is a long story.”

…..What happens next is unclear. But officials from both teams expressed interest in a visit, and an invitation and acceptance came quickly. On April 10, nine players plus officials, spouses and journalists crossed a bridge from Hong Kong to China. The group spent a week playing table tennis and sightseeing.

The visit paved the way for Henry Kissinger to conduct a secret visit to China in July, which set up Nixon’s historic visit in February 1972. The U.S. then formally recognized that there was only one China and thereby set the Taiwan question aside to normalize relations.

Nixon called it “the week that changed the world,” but Wei Wang remembers the words of Chairman Mao. She was a child in the early 1970s and says she doesn’t recall much about the events. But the former U.S. Olympian and current Westside Table Tennis Center instructor does remember one thing clearly.

“The prime minister said, ‘The little ball moved the big ball’ — a pingpong ball moved the earth,’ ” she said. “That was the metaphor. China opened up from that — from table tennis.”

The notion that sport could open a country seems outlandish on its face, but pingpong diplomacy is just one of several examples of sport influencing politics. Sports historian Richard Crepeau said the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and the Soviet Union’s rebuttal four years later in Los Angeles, served as strong national statements about foreign policy.

“Sport is so popular and so important around the world, using it can make a very direct and succinct point,” Crepeau said. “There is a conscious attempt by the American government to use sports in various aspects of foreign policy, and vice versa. … Sport and patriotism go together.”….

4 comments

  • zoe

    July 10, 2011 at 11:31 am

    Thank you for sharing this historical post…

  • Kyaemon

    July 11, 2011 at 12:11 am

    Zoe

    Appreciate your comments.
    =====================================

    What heritage has Yao Ming left besides basketball?

    http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sports/2011-07/10/c_13975659.htm

    By Randy Williams

    LOS ANGELES, July 9 (Xinhua) — Basketball has suffered a big loss: Yao Ming, the 7-foot-6 center and 8-time NBA All-Star is reportedly retiring due to career-ending injuries.

    Citing league sources, Yahoo! Sports and the Houston Chronicle have reported the Houston Rockets center has decided to leave the game after nine NBA seasons.

    …Respected by other giants such as Shaq O’ Neal because Yao was a big man who relied on skill in addition to size, O’ Neal stepped up his game in their head-to-head meetings dashing out on screens, recovering on pick-and-rolls knowing Yao had more tools than most centers including: versatile low-post maneuvering, surprising footwork and a brilliant shooting touch. His mobility in the post and a jump hook that was practically impossible to block were keys to him being a top player.

    …Recently retired himself, O’Neal congratulated Yao on a fine career in an online video post.

    “We’re going to miss you, bro,” O’Neal said. “You’re one of the greatest players ever to come out of China. You’re one of the greatest players, period. I’m going to miss you, brother. Enjoy retirement. Let’s go on vacation, bro. Me and you.”

    A basketball phenom coming to America shrouded in mystery from a part of the world that had not produced any before, despite being a big man, Yao carried the heavy expectations of 1.3 billion people on his back with grace and humility and the game is better for it.

  • Kyaemon

    July 11, 2011 at 12:15 am

    Sorry

    The second part on Yao Ming should be on the other post.

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