Editor's note: This year marks the 55th anniversary of the China-US Ping-Pong Diplomacy, a historic episode that paved the way for the normalization of bilateral relations.

To revisit the journey of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, this series features interviews with representative figures from the fields of sports, culture, economy, current affairs, and education — all of whom have contributed to China-US exchanges over the past 55 years.

At the 31st World Table Tennis Championships held in Nagoya, Japan in 1971, US player Glenn Cowan inadvertently boarded the Chinese team's training bus.

Chinese player Zhuang Zedong responded with a friendly gesture, presenting Cowan with a Hangzhou brocade. The exchange continued the following day, when Cowan returned the gesture with a sports shirt bearing a US commemorative badge and lyric to the Beatles' song Let It Be.

The goodwill quickly developed into a formal invitation. From April 10 to 17, the US table tennis team became the first US delegation to visit China since 1949, with Shanghai as a key stop from April 15 to 16.

On the evening of April 15, the US team faced off against their Chinese counterparts in a friendly match at the Jiangwan Stadium in Shanghai.

As a star player, Yao Zhenxu was chosen to play the final match against Cowan, the strongest player on the US team. Yao won the match, 21-12, 21-14.

"After I won him, I was afraid that he would be unhappy. But he told me: 'Thank you very much for having a serious match with me,'" said Yao.

Yao remembers being touched by Cowan's words, emphasizing that respect for one's opponent is important, and friendship transcends victory or defeat.

Following the match, Yao accompanied Cowan on a visit to a local workers' neighborhood, where the US athlete, with unreserved curiosity, expressed a wish to visit one of the homes.

Inside, Yao witnessed an impromptu and intimate moment of a family having a meal, and the aroma of braised pork filled the air.

"Back then, meat was rationed, so braised pork was considered a treat for ordinary families," Yao said. "Cowan asked if it tasted good and if he could try a piece, and he did. The US youth was very candid."

Following the US table tennis team's visit to China, in April 1972, the Chinese table tennis team made a return visit to the US, further strengthening the emerging cultural and diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Today, Yao encourages younger generations to engage in genuine, in-depth cultural exchange. "It's not just about seeing the sights and taking pictures; it's about having real interactions with the locals," he says.

"The youth today have better language skills and more opportunities to travel abroad than we did. Only through deeper understanding can we foster friendship. It doesn't necessarily have to be through ping pong; any shared interest can serve as a bridge for people-to-people diplomacy."

Source: Wenhui Daily