On the afternoon of April 7, 1971, when the U.S. table tennis team participated in the 31st World Table Tennis Championships in Nagoya, the team members couldn't wait to play ** for their families. Their purpose is not to share the victory of the competition, but to have a historic task to complete - a visit to China.
They take the mystery tour very seriously, and the captain asks the underage athletes to get permission from their parents, and if they don't have a wife, they also get in touch with their families.
It was with a heavy heart that the athletes contacted their loved ones, Bogan, a 40-year-old athlete, who told his wife: "If anything unfortunate happens to me in China, please save my unpublished manuscript and leave it to my children, Koster and Eric." ”
Why are they so cautious and nervous about a trip to China? In the spring of 1971, the Chinese table tennis team went to Japan to participate in the World Championships. **The Prime Minister personally mobilized and arranged for this competition, including details such as how to fly by plane.
When Chinese table tennis players first arrived in Japan, they were unfamiliar with everything. At the pre-opening lunch, the athletes relaxed and walked around, and some of the old Chinese athletes were looking for their old friends among the athletes from all over the world.
At this time, some athletes from unknown countries walked over, and the Chinese athletes smiled and nodded to each other out of politeness. However, these athletes did not expect each other to come directly and greet each other warmly and politely: "Hey, Chinese, I haven't seen you for a long time, your table tennis is playing very well." ”
With the assistance of an interpreter, the athletes learned that the other party was an American athlete, and the atmosphere on the field was a little awkward. Although everyone didn't know how to respond, they politely left.
However, the delegation still told China about this experience that night, saying that some people in the American delegation were very friendly to us and had an in-depth exchange with us at the reception last night.
At the same time, the Chinese delegation also encountered a small episode, when Song Zhong, the head of the delegation, was drinking coffee in the lobby of the venue, he unexpectedly found that the head of the American delegation, Steenhoven, was sitting opposite.
Originally, Song Zhong just wanted to nod politely, but he didn't expect Steenhoven to talk to him, and also talked about the lifting of the restrictions on travel to the People's Republic of China with US passports.
In 1971, the U.S. table tennis team took a group photo with Chinese personnel, and Song Zhong said: "Maybe we will meet in Beijing one day in the future." Stynhoven responded: "Mr. Song, aren't you Chinese quite kind?"
Why were you so fierce just now? Song Zhong laughed, and the laughter attracted people's attention. That night, ** learned of this and instructed to increase the number of calls to Nagoya from 3 to 5.
On April 1, the Chinese men's team won the championship, and the next day, a wonderful event occurred that neither China nor the United States expected.
Under the arrangement of the organizing committee, athletes from various countries visited the bay of the Mie Peninsula. A young American player greeted the Chinese players warmly and invited them to play table tennis.
Another American was curious to ask when they would have the opportunity to invite their friends Canada and the United Kingdom to visit. One of them, the lively American Cohen, is a long-haired hippie boy who loves to have fun and is uninhibited.
Because he accidentally missed the American bus, he saw a car with a pawn sign and went straight on, only to find that the car was full of Chinese. At first, no Chinese athletes communicated with Cohen, but he found an interpreter and said with a smile: "I know what I'm dressed might make you laugh, but in fact, many of us in the United States are like that." ”
Just as Cohen was talking, Zhuang Zedong stood up in the back of the car, feeling something in his bag.
Zhuang Zedong recognized Cohen at a glance: "You are Mr. Cohen?" Cohen smiled and nodded. Zhuang Zedong took out a piece of Hangzhou brocade and wanted to give it to this American friend, but his teammates whispered: "Mr. Zhuang, we have made an appointment before that we will not take the initiative to deal with the Americans." ”
But Zhuang Zedong, out of etiquette, still gave the brocade to Cohen, who was very moved. When they got off the bus, Zhuang Zedong and Cohen walked side by side, and were captured by a group of reporters waiting.
The friendly exchanges between a Chinese athlete and an American athlete have not only attracted the attention of China and Japan, but also attracted the attention of the West.
Late at night on April 6, Kissinger was working on documents in his Fortress Garden study, with a report on his desk that had been sent three days earlier. At that time, ** and the National Sports Commission jointly drafted a report on not inviting the American table tennis team to visit China.
The report has the words "to agree" written on it, and it has been circled with a pen on April 5, and the report has been approved. The secretary has conveyed his opinion to the Sports Committee, that is, he has agreed not to invite the U.S. table tennis team to visit China.
For this reason, the American girlfriend of Walden, the leader of the Canadian team, could not visit China together. After Song Zhong was informed, he decided to inform Walden immediately. Because the idea of the US visit to China is only verbal and has not formally made a request, there is no need to make a special trip to explain it to them.
Everyone thought that this was the end of the invitation to the US table tennis team to visit China. However, as the secretary filed the report, ** shook his head and signaled that he had something to say.
Once, Zhuang Zedong and Cohen*** visited China and revealed an important news to the chairman: the United States *** has lifted restrictions on traveling to China with US passports.
This means that anyone can visit China as long as the purpose is right. ** The President considered this to be an important turning point in U.S.-China relations. A month ago, Nixon expressed his willingness to talk to China.
**This time, I came to discuss this matter with the chairman. And *** does not think that it is completely correct to disagree with the report of the US table tennis team's visit to China. This was unimaginable a year ago, but now, it is an indisputable fact that the United States wants reciprocity with China.
What should China do? **Based on the chairman's comprehensive analysis, he believes that the time is ripe to invite the U.S. team to visit China. He immediately decided to invite the U.S. table tennis team to visit China.
After Zhao Zhenghong received the **, he handed over the domestic ** record to Song Zhong. In view of the many requests made by the United States and its warm and friendly behavior, it has been decided to agree to invite the US table tennis team, including the person in charge, to visit our country.
According to the requirements, Song Zhong must contact the American team as soon as possible to determine the number and time. Song Zhong did not dare to delay and immediately went to the residence of the American team. Although he didn't find Stienhoven, he ran into Harrison, the director of the international department of the American Table Tennis Association.
He immediately went to the break room with Harrison and said to him bluntly: "On behalf of the Chinese table tennis delegation, I officially extend an invitation to invite the American table tennis team to visit China. ”
Connie, a member of the U.S. table tennis team, shook hands with the Prime Minister, and the news shocked Harrison. When he told the news to the entire U.S. team, they suddenly fell silent, their faces full of disbelief.
Harrison asked them, "Would you like to go to China?" There was silence, and everyone looked at each other. Because in their hearts, China is a completely foreign world.
Suddenly, someone shouted, "Go! With such a great opportunity, why not go about it? The young athletes immediately became excited, some danced with joy, shouting to tell their mothers the good news, and some seemed a little nervous and hesitant.
Nixon learned the good news in the middle of the night, and he immediately notified the U.S. Embassy in Japan by urgent telegram, asking the U.S. athletes to go to Beijing.
On April 10, 1971, a 15-member U.S. table tennis delegation came to China and was received by the Prime Minister. This visit made them feel the charm of Chinese customs and customs.
The delegation toured Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, held friendly matches with Chinese athletes, visited the Great Hall of the People, climbed the Great Wall, and visited the National Centre for the Performing Arts of China.
Kissinger once said that this "ping-pong diplomacy" is a masterpiece of ***, but *** replied solemnly: "This is the wisdom of the chairman and the credit of the chairman." I didn't see it right this time, it was decided by the chairman. China-US relations still depend on the wise decision-making of the chairman, and in the end, the chairman is the chairman and we are us. ”
The visit proved the importance of the wise decisions of the leaders to the relations between the countries and also demonstrated the charisma of the Prime Minister. February** Dynamic Incentive Program