Title: After nearly 50 years of Ping-Pong Diplomacy: does the tense contemporary US-China relationship need a return to sports diplomacy?

Authors: Mohamad Zreik

Addresses: School of International Studies, Sun Yat-Sen University, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China

Abstract: Sports have historically bridged gaps that wars, politics and economics could not. Ancient rulers turned to sports to mend fractured ties between kingdoms and empires. A prime example is 'Ping-Pong Diplomacy'. In the early 1970s, amidst strained US-China relations, an unexpected interaction between Glenn Cowan (US) and Zhuang Zedong (China) at the World Table Tennis Championships Catalysed US President Nixon's visit to China, rekindling diplomatic ties. However, five decades later, US-China relations are again under strain. Amidst a backdrop of trade wars and political tensions, this paper explores the potential of sports diplomacy in mending US-China relations, asking: 'Can sports diplomacy reset US-China relations?' Drawing from primary and secondary sources, this study highlights the pivotal role sports played historically and suggests that sports diplomacy might again be the tool to reorient the trajectory of US-China ties.

Keywords: sports diplomacy; Ping-Pong Diplomacy; US-China relations; public administration; management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDIPE.2025.145647

International Journal of Diplomacy and Economy, 2025 Vol.11 No.2, pp.124 - 137

Received: 02 Jan 2024
Accepted: 27 Feb 2024
Published online: 11 Apr 2025 *

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