What Exactly Was Ping Pong Diplomacy?
Jun 06, 2021
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What is ping pong diplomacy? It refers to a series of events that involved the game of ping pong between the United States and the PRC at the time, which started during the early 1970s during the Gold medal games in Nagoya, Japan. The competition between these two teams was fierce due to their contrasting styles and strengths. Although there are many technical details about the game which make it easy to calculate the score and determine the winner, what we are really interested in is the larger cultural meaning and context.
When discussing this event, what comes to mind immediately are the players from the United States who went on to win the gold medal, and the Chinese. At the time, no one thought that this would be a sign of things to come, as both of these competitors were considered to be the best in their respective sports. However, in this case, the ping-pong diplomacy worked in America's favor, especially since the Americans went on to beat the Chinese team 4 - 3 in the world table tennis championships. It became a symbol for America's triumph over communism.
The cultural impact of the ping pong competition on both sides of the Pacific reached both The White House and Beijing. Some scholars even argue that it paved the way to Nixon visiting China and normalizing relations, bringing China out of its decades of isolationism from the rest of the world.
There are many theories about the origins of ping-pong diplomacy. One theory is that it started out as something simple: as a way for both the Americans and the Chinese to play on an international level without having to fight each other. As times progressed, perhaps they realized that it could be a means of promoting commerce between the two countries. Today, the two countries have strong diplomatic relations, which was not the case during the days when ping pong diplomacy was just beginning. Today, China supports its diplomacy with respect to the United States and vice versa.
There are many differences between the two parties today when it comes to their relationship with the United States. One of the most apparent is the Chinese willingness to allow countries to join the Beijing International Olympic Games, scheduled to be held in China in 2022. This is yet another example of how powerful and influential China is. China has so much money that it is willing to invest in an international competition for the Olympic Games, which can only mean good things for the Chinese economy. The fact that the US is willing to welcome them into the table tennis association makes China look great.
In addition to welcoming the Chinese into the table tennis association, the United States has also shown a willingness to allow the Chinese to compete actively against the United States in other international tournaments. This shows that the US is interested in competing against the Chinese. At the same time, the Chinese have no problem playing against other countries, especially those that are a larger neighbor or power. For example, China recently played Russia in an international competition, which the Chinese won comfortably. If the Chinese would win the next world cup, the US would find itself in an extremely troublesome position with the Chinese.
As farfetched as it sounds, there have actually been instances where the Chinese and the United States have collaborated on projects. For example, China's Global software project and the Clean Water Act were developed through American engineering and research. China is also very fond of the American high-tech firms that started in the Silicon Valley, such as Apple and Google. On another note, there is a high degree of Chinese regard for the legendary ping pong player Dennis Reed (who incidentally passed away several years ago). Therefore, it is not completely out of the question that China may start playing international volleyball alongside the United States sometime in the near future.
At present bilateral relations are at an all-time low due to the Taiwan issue and other issues, but this does not mean that China does not consider itself to be a powerful nation. The United States needs to understand that China's growth potential is enormous and that it needs to be respected. There are too many American and European competitors that have little to offer to China. Without this reciprocity, China will continue to grow and expand its influence in the region and the world. This is why China's recent moves with the Philippines, Vietnam, and Japan are so important; these moves are meant to strengthen the Chinese relationship while at the same time increasing China's global influence.
It appears that China is ready to compete with the United States, and perhaps even more than the United States, in international waters.
Tags: English