On April 10, 1971, members of the U.S. table tennis team visited the People’s Republic of China for a series of exhibition matches. The invitation came as a surprise and marked the first official U.S. delegation allowed into China since 1949. The trip helped ease Cold War tensions between the two countries. It signaled a willingness on both sides to explore better relations. The goodwill from “ping-pong diplomacy” paved the way for President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972. It remains a classic example of sports serving as a bridge in international diplomacy.
