Learning from China’s diplomacyBy Paul Lin 林保華April 10 marked the 50th anniversary of the US and China’s “Ping-Pong diplomacy.” Washington and Beijing issued statements to mark the occasion, which betrayed a sense that both sides, like lovers apart, still hold a fondness for their previous relationship. The US should not at all be sentimental, as Ping-Pong diplomacy was a trap — a triumph of deceit and subterfuge for Beijing, and a five-decade strategic disaster for Washington. It began in 1971 when Beijing extended an invitation to US table tennis players to visit China. To mark the Ping-Pong diplomacy anniversary, Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai (崔天凱) released a recorded speech in which he called on both sides to carry forward the spirit of Ping-Pong diplomacy and seek common ground. The global order bears an uncanny resemblance to ancient China’s Records of the Three Kingdoms (三國志).

Source: Taipei Times April 23, 2021 16:11 UTC