China’s envoy to US describes Xi-Biden meeting as ‘milestone’ in ties, stresses ‘wisdom’ of ping pong diplomacy

History will show that the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart Joe Biden in San Francisco last month was not merely a “highlight” in China-US ties this year but a “milestone” in the decades-old relationship with far-reaching influence on peace and development, Beijing’s envoy to Washington said on Wednesday.

“The summit has consolidated the momentum towards stabilising China-US relations and injected much-needed certainty and stability into this turbulent and fluid world,” said Xie Feng, the Chinese ambassador to the US, at an event marking 52 years of “ping pong diplomacy”.

American table tennis players, including Connie Sweeris (far right), attend a meeting during their 1971 trip to China, the first by a US delegation after the founding of the People’s Republic. Photo: AP

In 1971, nine American table tennis players became the first US delegation to visit China after the Communist Party came to power, paving the way for the establishment of official diplomatic ties in 1979 following a period of isolation and distrust. Those initial informal exchanges are referred to as ping pong diplomacy.

Xie noted that in San Francisco, Xi said China and the US must “jointly manage disagreements effectively, jointly advance mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly shoulder responsibilities as major countries and jointly promote people-to-people exchanges”.

In recent years, China-US tensions have risen sharply, starting with Trump’s imposition of unilateral tariffs on Chinese imports followed by Washington’s de-risking efforts and restrictions on tech exports under the Biden administration.

Xie called for good sportsmanship in bilateral relations, noting that athletic competition was about “respecting and learning from each other to make progress together” as well as abiding by rules and ensuring fair play.

He said one should not “tie the hands” of competitors or “deny others the opportunity to be part of the game”, but should focus on self-improvement and playing by “the rules of the game” rather than “bringing down others” or “ganging up”.

“There’s no reason why competitors cannot also be friends,” Xie said, stressing that it was necessary to “draw wisdom” from ping pong diplomacy.

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Also attending the event were Connie Sweeris and her husband Dell Sweeris – two of the nine table tennis players who took part in the historic trip to China.

Recalling how the visit broke down “a lot of barriers and promoted communication and understanding between our two peoples”, Connie Sweeris said that despite differences, “we can be friends”.

Jan Berris, who served as assistant cultural affairs officer at the US consulate in Hong Kong in 1971, described the exchange as an important “turning point” for the two countries.

Berris, who is now vice-president of the National Committee on US-China Relations, a New York-based non-profit organisation, said she hoped the “positive effects” of the Xi-Biden meeting would offer another opportunity for the US and China to work together and “forge a strong, a stable and a mutually respectful relationship”.

South China Morning Post