In 1971, when the 31st World Table Tennis Championships were held in Nagoya, Japan, **I received a letter from Chang Ji Pengfei**, saying that an American got into the wrong Chinese car. You must know that since the Chinese Volunteers, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, defeated the US military, the diplomacy of the two countries has entered a period of ice. Now, the eyes of the world are watching whether the athletes of China and the United States will "play each other" at the table tennis table. *and*** have also repeatedly told athletes to pay attention to communication with American athletes. Unexpectedly, an American athlete got into the wrong car for us, didn't he send it to the door himself?
American athletes delivered to the door themselves
1971 JapanThe 31st World Table Tennis Championships, held in Nagoya, Japan. Because the shuttle bus time was not on time, Cohen, an American athlete, accidentally stepped into the car of the Chinese delegation. But Cohen, who is bold by nature, looked at the Chinese players and did not feel strange, but very excited。He chattered in English to himself and talked to the Chinese delegation. Then he said the names of each of them to himself, as if he was an avid fan of the Chinese team. Watching him talk endlessly, all the members of the Chinese team did not speak, and the scene was quite embarrassing for a while.
Not long after the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea ended, Sino-US relations were still in a tense state, and they were all shouting since childhood"Hit US imperialism".'s slogan grew up, national hatred and family hatred are intertwined, and it would be good to be able to play a game with a friendly one. As a result, the Chinese athletes are honestly following up the competitionBut Cohen, an American, sent it to the door himself. Before leaving, ** went to the table tennis training hall several timesI have repeatedly told the athletes that they must pay attention to their communication with American athletes and never have any contradictions
The world's most important eyes are staring at the athletes of the two countries, and they don't know what news they will distort the report into at the slightest disturbanceSuggestion: If you really can't do it, avoid meeting each other. Looking at the car without saying a word, Cohen was suddenly a little embarrassed and felt that he was not too enthusiastic, what he didn't know was that the Chinese athletes were actually full of words and didn't know how to speak. He turned and walked to the car door, as if trying to go down。An athlete named Zhuang Zedong, plucked up the courage to walk up to Cohen, generously stretched out his hand, and talked to him with the help of an interpreter.
The conversation learned that the American team member was only 19 years old and was going abroad to compete for the first time. Cohen apologized for getting on the wrong car, and thanked Zhuang Zedong for breaking the awkward atmosphere and taking the initiative to communicate with him, and the two had a good conversation. This Zhuang Zedong is not small, he has won the world championship 3 times in a row, and he is one of the main players of the Chinese team, and he is also the best".Table tennis personal trainerUsually he is the most daring in the team, he dares to say anything, and everyone admires him.
Cohen looked at Zhuang Zedong's neat Chinese-style flat head, Cohen was very familiar, pointed to his rock maniac's shawl long hair and asked Zhuang Zedong: "Such a hairstyle, will you Chinese like it?" Zhuang Zedong's answer surprised Cohen, Zhuang Zedong said: "Clothing and hairstyles should be based on your own preferences, and we like us if you like them." ”
At that time, it coincided with the 31st World Table Tennis Championships, not long after the end of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, when Sino-US relations were still in a tense state, ** instructed athletes to reduce communication with American athletes, but unexpectedly, some Americans themselves sent to the door, on the wrong shuttle bus of Chinese players, at that time the whole world was reporting this 51 years ago "social death" incident, at that time, how will this sensitive matter be fermented?The world reported the "social death" incident 51 years agoFrom January 1950, when the United States withdrew all its personnel in China, until Nixon took office in 1969, China and the United States began a 20-year ice period. This rare realist in the United States after Roosevelt mentioned it shortly after he was nominated as a candidate:We must keep looking for opportunities to talk to the Chinese side, but we just miss an opportunity.
Coincidentally, two years laterAn American who "got on the wrong car" and a bold Chinese,Brought this opportunity to pierce the window paper. Japan, as the organizer, is also aware of the tensions between China and the United StatesThe two delegations were also separated by a distance in terms of process arrangement. But I never thought that Cohen accidentally got into the wrong car, which caused a butterfly effect.
Just when Zhuang Zedong shook hands with Cohen, he was seen by foreign reporters. Due to the occupational disease of a journalist, he keenly smelled a smell of explosive news! Hurry up and snap a picture. The next dayZhuang Zedong shook hands with CohenIt spread all over the world and caused a sensation all over the world.
At that time, the head of the U.S. delegation decided to let Cohen go to ease relations between the two countries in the name of learning and exchanging table tennis. **After knowing this matter, after continuous deliberation, I made a temporary decision that night:Take the initiative to invite American table tennis players to visit China for exchanges and learning.
At that time, relations between China and the Soviet Union were tense, and the United States was also caught in the war in Vietnam. Both sides are looking for an opportunity to shake hands and make peace in order to reach a kind of equilibrium in the world pattern. Cohen's adventure has created a great opportunity for both countries. The reporter asked Cohen: "Do you want to go to China?" Cohen replied: "Of course."The most famous "ping-pong diplomacy" of the 20th century, the small-ball to big-ball, came. It was precisely the handshake between Zhuang Zedong and Cohen that was the wonderful beginning!
As soon as the World Table Tennis Championships in Japan ended, after the US table tennis team received the official invitation, all the members of the US team were so excited that they couldn't sleep all night. Nixon was also very shocked when he received the report from the embassy in Japan, and then he rejoiced, saying:"Our active engagement with China is about to start with table tennis.
In April 1971, the U.S. table tennis delegation flew directly from Nagoya, Japan to Beijing for a visiting competition. They were followed by a small group of American journalists. This group of Americans was the first group of Americans to be allowed to enter the territory of New China since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
At the end of March 1971, an accidental "wrong ride" incident by the Americans was reported by the whole world, but it became a sensational small ball to promote big ball diplomacy! However, ** raised the question at this time, Americans have completely different faces from us, how can they get on the wrong car! So, is it true or deliberate that this American got on the wrong car?The plan of the United StatesOriginally, I have been putting a question mark in my heart about the frequent overtures of the American table tennis team. Was Cohen's getting on the wrong car intentional or was it really providential? At about eleven o'clock that night, ***, who had taken sleeping pills, was a little tired and fell asleep on the table. In fact, ** was thinking about the day's report in his mind, and he had been thinking about starting with the American sidePros and cons of "ping-pong diplomacy". ，Not long after, he suddenly woke up from his sleep and said to the staff next to him: "Hurry up and give *** permission for the US table tennis team to visit China."
Hearing that the Chinese side agreed to the table tennis team's visit to China, Nixon said excitedly: Providence! It's providence! With the successful test of China's first atomic bomb in 1964, the United States also faced up to this large country with a population of one billion. In 1967, Nixon expressed his willingness to ease Sino-US relations through multiple diplomatic channelsWe cannot allow a billion Chinese to live alone and angry! ”At this time, the United States realized that it was pointless to be hostile to China, and that if it wanted to confront the Soviet Union, it had to improve its relations with China.
It is of great significance to invite the U.S. table tennis team to use the people-to-people exchanges between the two countries as a signal to open the door to Sino-U.S. relations, rather than through secret diplomacy. On the afternoon of April 13, 1971, 18,000 spectators came to the Capital Gymnasium to play the Chinese and American table tennis teams. The United States sent women's singles champion Connie to compete with our women's champion Li Henan, Li Henan, who played beautifully, and Connie "lost" naturally. **Knowing this, just say,Don't give them a "bald head" to let them win a game, the point is to teach them technique. Since then, the table tennis team has had a tradition of not "pushing bald heads" to opponents.
The American athletes visited the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and other places of interest in accordance with the schedule personally arranged by the Prime Minister. Among them, they took a group photo at the Great Wall**, and they were also on the board at that timeTime Magazine. But the effects of this "ping-pong diplomacy" go far beyond that. Who would have thought that with a small table tennis ball, it would be able to promote the ice-breaking relationship between the two major countries. The whole world is amazed:This is the small ball of table tennis ball, which turns the big ball of the earth!