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.

For Karl Hoseth, principal of Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington state, his connection with China began long before he stepped into the classroom as an educator.

More than three decades ago, he set foot in China as a member of the first US football team to visit the country. During the trip, the team played friendly matches in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in Guangdong province, and even held a brief training session in Tian'anmen Square.

"That was a real lasting experience in my memory," Hoseth said, recalling the three-week journey.

At the time, he was taking a course on China's reform and opening-up. Seeing the country firsthand brought what he had learned in class to life, he said.

Today, students at Lincoln High School visit China almost every year, continuing that tradition of exchange.

Hoseth noted that, compared with the relatively short history of the United States, China's long history leaves a strong impression on visiting students especially when they see landmarks such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City.

These experiences, he added, often shape students' future choices. "It just has opened up more doors with the possibilities of doing more," he said, noting that some students may return to China for travel, study or work.

Such exchanges help students build bridges and learn from one another through sports. "There are more things we have in common than there are that are different," he said.

Hoseth revisited China in 2024 and said the country had undergone significant changes.

He expressed hope that exchanges between students from both sides will continue.

"I hope that we continue to have this connection with Chinese students. I believe that these connections can really help change the way the world sees each other."

China-US Ping-Pong Diplomacy

Ping pong diplomacy began in early April 1971 at the World Table Tennis Championships in Nagoya, Japan, when US player Glenn Cowan accidentally boarded a bus carrying the Chinese team, leading to an unexpected encounter with Chinese player Zhuang Zedong.

In the days that followed, the Chinese government invited the US table tennis team to visit China. On April 10, 1971, the team arrived in Beijing, becoming the first US delegation to enter the country since 1949.

The visit became a powerful symbol of goodwill, signaling a willingness on both sides to improve relations.

A year later, in April 1972, the Chinese table tennis team paid a return visit to the US, further strengthening emerging cultural and diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Source: Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries