Ping Pong Diplomacy: Made in Japan
Remembering the Chinese, Japanese, and American table tennis players who paved the way for a historic diplomatic opening.
By
April 10, 2021
Flanked by uniformed Chinese border officials, Glen Cowan, a member of the 15-strong United States table tennis team, turns and waves to newsmen at Lowu, China on Saturday, April 10, 1971, after crossing into China from Hong Kong.
Credit: AP Photo
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It’s the 50-year anniversary of “The Ping Heard Round the World,” a Time Magazine headline in their April 26, 1971 edition. An unexpected invitation for the United States table tennis team to visit China in that year led to Nixon’s visit in 1972, which dramatically changed the course of history. The full story, however, is much more intricate and interesting, and Japan is at the center of it.