Ping-Pong Diplomacy remembered

Forum recalls memorable moments of 1971 exchange that helped break ice

When Connie Sweeris stepped onto the table tennis court in Nagoya, Japan, 54 years ago, she did not expect the match to become part of a turning point in China-US relations. At the 1971 World Table Tennis Championships, the former US national team player was among those who accepted an invitation from the Chinese delegation to play a series of "friendship matches" in China, an exchange that soon drew international attention and later became known as Ping-Pong Diplomacy.

Sweeris recalled that the Chinese team had returned to the championships that year after a six-year absence, and that the invitation came on the final day of the competition.