Ping-pong diplomacy

As a Ping - pong diplomacy refers to the political approach of the People's Republic of China and the United States in the 1970s with the help of table tennis.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. and China had tried using " normal" diplomatic means to improve relations; but the so-called Warsaw talks did not bring the expected results.

Finally came to help, the table tennis player. During the World Cup 1971 in Nagoya (Japan), the player Glenn Cowan became friends (USA) and Zhuang Zedong ( China). Thereupon, the Secretary General of the Chinese Table Tennis Sung Chung invited on 7 April 1971, the American table tennis player a to Beijing.

This visit was followed by other meetings of senior politicians (Henry Kissinger in July 1971 as well as Richard Nixon in February 1972), which stresses degraded and relations have been improved. These events are today known as ping - pong diplomacy.

The invitation to the Americans to Beijing is shown, among other things in the movie Forrest Gump when Tom Hanks as one of these table tennis player travels to Beijing and then Nixon meets.

Philately

From the Republic of Guinea on December 13, 1971 were perforated stamps for the "ping- pong diplomacy " on metal-coated paper expended ( Michel catalog No. 597-605 ). In addition there was a first day cancellation with the text " ping-pong" of Conakry.

For 35 - year anniversary of "ping- pong diplomacy " was from 1 to 3 April 2006 picture of the same black and red special in Changzhou, People's Republic of China, used. On the special include, without limitation The flags of the USA and the People's Republic of China and two table tennis bats mapped.