Still struggling to reconcile with seven years of failed policies, extreme isolationism and severe poverty caused largely by the Cultural Revolution, the Chinese Government extended an invitation to a small of American athletes in an attempt to renew Chinese-American relations. So much was dependent upon the success of this tour. Was this unprecedented invitation a possible first step to a more open China? Or would this mark a new period of increased competition between the U.S. and the PRC? Was there a possibility that the U.S. and China, two of the largest nations in the world, could one day join together as Allies? Numerous possibilities suddenly became possible because of the door that athletics had provided. But the Chinese were keen to pick a sport that they new extremely well, one that Mao Ze Dong at one point called China's "spiritual, nuclear weapon"-- 乒乓球 (ping pong).
Everyone in China has picked up a 乒乓牌子 (ping pong paddle) at some point (yes, it's a stereotype to say that all Chinese people are good at the sport, but I have so far found that everyone is familiar with it). In my neighborhood 乒乓球 is played both casually (like playing at a community center with friends) and seriously ( like at a club) at all age groups. My family opts for the more casual setting, playing the 公立乒乓中心 (public ping pong center) down the road. The 乒乓中心 is simple and the structure is nothing more than a tin roof covering a couple of rows of battered 台子 (tables). In the back corner, a single table is separated from the rest by a make shift wall constructed out of some old sheets and a taught piece of string. Although net yet worn down, it has been well used, and there are slight depressions in the floor, where players have stood agressively returning ball after ball after ball. However, don't let this more laid back environment fool you, people play hard to win (I've seen old people do things that I didn't know my body could do). This includes my host mother, who, at 57 years old, can easily beat me. Despite the competition, 乒乓 has been a great way for me to socialize and meet people. I've been playing since I was six years old and can rally pretty well. To my surprise, this skill tends to grab peoples attention. A few times I've heard whispers like “你看，那个外国人打球打得不错” ("look over there, that foreigner actually plays pretty well").
So far I've made a few friends my age playing ping pong, but mostly I've befriended a group of older people interested in my choice to come study in Beijing. 乒乓球 has become an ice breaker for me. People seem to relax and feel comfortable initiating a conversation when they realize that I can do something that they consider Chinese. Onlookers will ask to play with me (probably to check if their eyes are deceiving them, and this black person can actually play), and by the time that we have finished playing I've usually taught my opponent some english phrases, learned some new Mandarin words, and exchanged phone numbers or been invited to dinner. There is a spirit of cooperation that comes with playing 乒乓球, and it is best expressed in a phrase that the Chinese government crafted specifically for the American ping-pong tour through China, "friendship first, competition second." In essence, its not the outcome of the game, but the game itself that is important. I'm sure that this is the very feeling that followed these "diplomat athletes" as they toured this country, playing in arenas packed with thousands of Chinese onlookers who simply wondered what Americans were like. I'm glad to see that this spirit lives on today in the 乒乓中心 down the road.
For More :
This brief NPR on Ping Pong diplomacy was interesting
Watching a brief clip of Competitive ping pong won't hurt
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