Ping-Pong Diplomacy chalks up 50 years
The group, the first from China to arrive in the US since the founding of New China, was received at the White House by Nixon before starting an 18-day visit.
Zheng, now 76, said they received a much warmer welcome than she had expected.
"I remember that when we went to an auto factory to play table tennis, the workers gave us a heartfelt welcome, which we could see from their facial expressions and body language," she said.
"I appreciate that Zhou Enlai, Chairman Mao Zedong and Richard Nixon had this forward-looking strategy that used a table tennis ball to open the gates to diplomacy," she said.
Ping-Pong Diplomacy reunion trips continue to be held in China and the US to mark key anniversaries, with many former players attending them.
Yao said, "People-to-people exchanges between the two nations over the years have become increasingly open and genuine. No matter the state of relations between the two governments, the civil friendship is unbreakable."
