>> the celebration of ping-pong diplomacy is also one of the important events recommended by u.s.-china consultation of people to people exchange. this mechanism is supported by the two presidents of our country's year before last year. we very much like to use this mechanism to strengthen our established relationship between the sports circle and also people in general, and we want to make good use of the experience and resources of both sides to further develop the areas of the sports industry. while this is a very good moment for us to strengthen our cooperation for the means of the mechanism for people to people

exchange, and i would like to emphasize especially the importance of the cooperation in a circle for sports and also the necessity of broadening the cooperation between the two countries. >> [speaking chinese] >> to honor our visit this afternoon to san francisco, we made a very special gift that we would like to present to the mayor of san francisco. [applause]

>> thank you very much. i would like to introduce the council general, who has been very much help to us during this visit. welcome. [applause] >> good afternoon, everyone. first of all, i wish to express my heartfelt thanks to mayor edwin lee. i know you are very busy. you are the busiest man in the

city, in the bay area. you just passed a budget, but you also made a new agenda. thank you for making your time free to help in this event. 40 years ago, i was a middle school student. the dramatic counter of the two young table tennis players from china and america surprised me and shocked the world. thanks to the vision of older generation leaders of our two countries, the small ball moved the big ball, and this event and the later on coming efforts paved the way to the rapid development of china-u.s. relationship, and changed the world completely. after decades of concerted

efforts, the relation between china and america has developed into one of the most important dynamic and promising bilateral relations in the world, which benefits tremendously not only our two nations, the world as a whole. to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the ping-pong diplomacy, there will be several events in the coming days. i think myself that these events are magnificent. they will help people, especially our young regeneration, know more about the history of the development of china-u.s. relations. they will help us review the achievements we have made over the past 40 years. and encourage us to do a better

job in the future. this event will also reaffirmed the key role which people to people exchange place -- plays in the promotion of mutual friendship and understanding and trust. i am very happy to see that both our leaders in our two countries give prominent place to exchanges between our peoples in the san francisco bay area, getting closely involved in the exchanges on the grass roots between our two countries. i think all these events, all these exchanges will help build a solid, cooperative partnership between china and america, and

the coming event will contribute briefly to that endeavor. once again, thank you for coming, and again, welcome to the delegation. your presence today and tomorrow will undoubtedly provide enriching perspective to all celebrations, and on this occasion, i also wish to express our heartfelt thanks to our friends from the city and the county, from the office, from the olympic committee of america, and all the individuals and groups closely involved in the preparation and organization of this grand event and wish all the celebrations great success,

and invite you all tonight to see the demonstration between the vice minister and the mayor. tomorrow, there will be another professional demonstration in the university of stanford. thank you. [applause] >> now, i would like to introduce a veteran of the 1971 visit, who will speak just a little while, and then we will get to the exhibition. judy was a teenager when she went to china in 1971. here she is now. welcome, judy. [applause] >> thank you. for the introduction. thank you, mayor lee, for your comments and your support of our sport, diplomacy, and encouraging good will between the u.s. and china. thank you, mr. counsel general for welcoming us, for your

hospitality, and for being here today to honor and commemorate ping-pong diplomacy. as a member of the team that went to china in 1971, it is a thrill to be here again being a pink condom a black -- ping- pong diplomat. as like 39 years ago with a reciprocal tore of the team usa, table tennis has been a platform for events to promote peace between our countries. i am pleased that three veteran players from the 1972 reciprocal tore from china are here today. it is such a pleasure to be with you again. and also, my 1971 friends from our trip to china. my teammates, george, and our official.

i am really glad that you are joining us today as well. the 40th anniversary u.s.a. tour, which takes us from milwaukee to san francisco to los angeles, is a special time for as a veteran ping-pong diplomacy players to share all pictures and stories and continue our friendship while sharing the legacy of ping-pong diplomacy with the young degeneration. for the athletes four decades ago and now, pingpong diplomacy has always been about bringing people together to transcend political, national, and cultural barriers. i was just 15 years old when i went to china. i was a member of the u.s. team for the world championships. it was my first international competition, my first time outside north america, and it was a really exciting world championship because it was also the first time that the chinese team was participating in the world championships since the beginning of the cultural revolution in 1976.

i really look forward to seeing the chinese team. there was a great mystique since they had been gone from the table tennis team for such a long time. i still remember the first time i ever saw the chinese team. we were playing in the practice hall. many countries, many tables. we were all playing. the sound of the ball going. we were all talking, and suddenly, a huge crush came over the whole room. we were looking around, and up there, the chinese team walks in. to us, they were the gods of table tennis. [laughter] i will never forget. then, the tournament went on for two weeks, and almost the last day of the tournament, we received the invitation to go to china. it was an amazing surprise, and it was great excitement. i was really excited to go, of course.

and i was full of curiosity. i really did not know what to expect. no american group had been to china in years, and a was an incredible experience. if i had any expectations, it would have far surpassed them. china in 1971 was a very different place from my life in usa in 1971. also, china in 1971 was very different from china now or china on my next trip, which was 25 years later. we were in china for eight very full days. the highlight of the trip was meeting the premier at the great hall of the people. we also went to the great wall, and they closed the wall just for us that date. other highlights for me were going to the summer palace, to a chinese opera, to a technical university, to an industrial exhibition, to m model commune near shanghai.

we ate great chinese food and experienced the most wonderful hospitality. the chinese girls taught me two songs. "the east is red" and "sailing the seas depends on the helmsman." we learned about chinese communism and read mal's "little red book." and of course, we played friendship matches. we played in three cities -- and fortunately, very fortunately for me, the mantra over and over again was friendship first, competition second. i would like to brag here today that i won three matches out of four in china. and it was only do -- and i'm very well aware it was only due to the philosophy, "friendship first, competition second."

[laughter] i am also grateful for the wonderful hospitality that the chinese association and chinese people have extended in my subsequent ping-pong diplomacy visits to china, and i thank the chinese association and the people of china for keeping alive the spirit of ping-pong diplomacy. today, we are celebrating ping- pong diplomacy and the role it played in normalizing relations between u.s. and china. however, pingpong diplomacy does not justify -- just apply to the u.s. team trip to china in 1971 and the chinese team trip to the u.s.a. in 1972. ping-pong diplomacy also applies to the role of sports in bringing people together in peaceful interactions. in sports, we have a common language that transcends national boundaries and cultural differences. we gain perspective and understanding, and we learn appreciation for each other. through the legacy of ping-pong

diplomacy, we carry forward to the new generations a new people's revolution. it is one that carries a world wide message of peace, love, and cooperation. [applause] >> thank you. now, i would like to ask mayor lee to come back to the podium because we have some presentations to make to the delegation. and we are going to be helped, too, with the pronunciation of the names so we make sure that we get them all correct.

[applause]

>> [inaudible] whene'er [applause]

[reading names]

>> before the exhibition, i have one announcement to make, and i know supervisor mar will appreciate this. this summer -- in fact, in the month of september, there will be sunday streets in san francisco's chinatown north beach. through the great work of our program and rose and the chinese chamber, part of the sunday street on september 18 will be a dedication to a citywide ping- pong tournament that each district of our city will field a team of people to play, and we will pick up in an alleyway in chinatown. there will be 11 ping pong tables, and we will determine the best ping-pong player from the city and county of san francisco. how about that in september? [applause]

>> now, we are going to play. before we do, i would like to ask peter to come up from the united states table tennis association. they have a gift for you that will help you maybe this afternoon. so peter, can you make this quickly? mayor lee? >> on behalf of usa table tennis, we would like to present to the mayor this anniversary paddle. 40 anniversary ping-pong diplomacy, july 1-8, 2011, milwaukee, san francisco, richard nixon library from usa table tennis and suitable for autographing on the back so you

can get some signatures while your there. thank you. mayor lee: thank you. >> thank you for hosting. >> now, what we have all been waiting for. i think we are ready to play. mayor lee, are you ready? are you going to play? ok, great. and this is a veteran of the 1971 exhibit. [applause]

>> we are going to add the

doubles. [applause] yes, you, too. this is the future now. the future and the past. >> [inaudible] [applause]

[cheers and applause]

[applause]