President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a congratulatory letter to an event commemorating the 55th anniversary of China-US Ping-Pong Diplomacy.

President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at Welcome Dinner by Friendly Organizations in the United States, in San Francisco, the United States, Nov 15, 2023. (Photo: Xinhua)

In April 1971, a US Table Tennis team delegation took a historic trip to China, becoming the first delegation of Americans to visit China in decades. The trip was the beginning of what became known as Ping-Pong Diplomacy, and helped lay the groundwork for the establishment of official diplomatic relations between China and the US.

Xi has on many occasions recalled this landmark episode. During a state visit to the US in 2015, he attended a football training session with students from Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington. He was presented with a football and a jersey by the students and, in return, gifted them items including a ping-pong table.

In a meeting with US President Donald Trump in Osaka, Japan in 2019, Xi again referenced the origins of Ping-Pong Diplomacy in 1971, when Chinese and US players had friendly interactions during the 31st World Table Tennis Championships in Nagoya. "One basic fact remains unchanged: China and the US both benefit from cooperation and lose from confrontation," Xi said. "Cooperation and dialogue are better than friction and confrontation."

In a speech at a welcome dinner hosted by friendly organizations in the US in San Francisco, California in 2023, Xi once again recounted how "a small ball moved the globe." He said the trend of the times brought the two countries together, shared interests helped them transcend differences and the people's desire for connection broke the ice between them.

In the letter he sent on Friday, Xi emphasized that the foundation of China-US relations is laid by the people, and the future of bilateral relations will be shaped by the youth. He expressed the hope that people from all walks of life in both countries, especially the younger generation, will draw wisdom and strength from history.