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| the ambassador tries his hand |
The Chinese ambassador, Zheng Zeguang, joined sports lovers at Loughborough University London greeting the Chinese team, fresh from winning both the men’s and women’s titles at the 2026 World Team Table Tennis Championships last week.
More than 200 guests attended the event marking the 55th anniversary of China-UK “ping-pong diplomacy” including Alan Hydes, a participant in the 1971 “ping-pong diplomacy”games, players and coaches from Team England, and students from Loughborough University and the local community.
In his remarks Ambassador Zheng noted that in 1926 the International Table Tennis Federation was founded in London and held the first World Table Tennis Championships. Now 100 years later, the Championships have returned to the capital. He congratulated the UK on successfully hosting the 2026 world championships. He also warmly congratulated the Chinese men’s and women’s teams on successfully defending their titles after defeating Japan in the finals. He commended the Chinese players for their outstanding skill and remarkable determination, noting that they embodied the Olympic spirit and made the Chinese people proud.
Zheng pointed out that this year marks the 55th anniversary of China-UK “ping-pong diplomacy”. In 1971 the England table tennis team was invited to visit China. This was followed by a return visit to the UK by the Chinese table tennis team later that year. These exchanges played a unique role in the establishment of China-UK ambassadorial-level diplomatic relations. Sport has long served as a bridge connecting the peoples of China and the UK. The Chinese government supports closer exchanges between the sporting communities of the two sides and encourages broader cooperation between their universities. He expressed his hope that athletes and young people from both countries will continue to use sport as a bridge and contribute to the friendship between the peoples of China and the UK in the new era.
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