This year marks the 55th anniversary of China-U.S. Ping-Pong Diplomacy. More than 150 young athletes and representatives from various sectors—hailing from Beijing’s sister cities, Washington, D.C. and New York, as well as other parts of the U.S.—will attend the commemorative event and witness the official launch of the 2026 China-U.S. Youth Sports Exchange Events.

On April 7, Kent Watkins, a witness to Ping-Pong Diplomacy and Chairman of the American Academy of Housing and Communities, gave a media interview at the Beijing Library. He also presented a custom-made commemorative ping-pong ball to the journalist of Beijing News. The ball bears the words “55th Anniversary of Ping-Pong Diplomacy”.