Ping-pong diplomacy at Beijing tournament

International relations were a relaxed affair on Saturday when an annual table tennis tournament for foreign diplomats was held for the fourth consecutive year in Beijing.

Teams representing 60 countries, as far-flung as Russia, the United States, Pakistan, Ecuador, Italy and Samoa, participated in the ping-pong competition, which was organised by the Maldives embassy.

Ahmed Latheef, the Maldives ambassador to China, said the tournament, which included team matches and individual singles matches for men and women, allowed diplomats to meet in a friendly environment and have fun.

"It is a popular event and this is seen in the increasing number of players we see every year."

Russia, firm favourites after winning last year, once again topped the scoreboard, claiming the group and men’s title, while Samoa won the women’s title.

Latheef started the event in 2008, when Beijing held the Olympic Games, as a way to promote friendship and cooperation among diplomats and their families in Beijing through sports.

"This is probably the largest sports event among the foreign diplomats in Beijing although there are other matches, such as golf,” said Latheef.

Once a professional ping-pong player, who competed at the 1990 Asia Games in Beijing, Latheef is perhaps the best player in the diplomatic circle, but as the host, refused to join in the contest.

Other participants had less experience of the sport.

Danilo Henriques from East Timor said he literally only started playing table tennis hours before the event. “I was supposed to practise last night, but I was so busy and had to work until 10 pm.”

The Chinese Office of Foreign Affairs also sported a team, and during the tournament’s opening ceremony, Latheef thanked them for their continued support of the event.

A much-anticipated fixture of the day was a friendly match between the Chinese office and a team of foreign diplomats.

"Every year we lose,” said Latheef. “But it doesn’t discourage us from playing.”

Vincent Perrin of France said the day provided a good opportunity to interact with colleagues from other countries.

Fresh from a warm-up game, Perrin made reference to a photograph of Chinese Vice-Premier Li Lanqing playing ping-pong with Henry Kissinger before a banquet at Diaoyutai, the State guesthouse in Beijing in 2001, republished by the China Daily last week.

In mid-April 1971, an American table tennis team was invited to compete in China. This, along with meetings between then US secretary of state Kissinger, helped orchestrate the opening of relations between the US and China.

"Table tennis diplomacy is still very interesting,” said Perrin.

Latheef agreed, saying his ping-pong prowess has opened many doors in China.

He said sometimes it was difficult to engage with serious Chinese officials but when the topic touched on table tennis the conversation became easier.

Latheef said China was the ideal posting for someone as ping-pong mad as himself.

It seems to be a theme among Beijing’s foreign diplomats. Samoa’s Faamaile Tua’au also competed in Saturday’s tournament and he said before taking up his posting, he was the manager of Samoa’s Table Tennis Association.

A keen rugby union player as a youngster, Tua’au said China’s national sport is slowly growing a fan base in his Pacific Island home.

"We are introducing table tennis in our primary schools, developing young kids,” explained Tua’au.

Latheef also said he was keen to raise the profile of the sport in the Maldives and had plans for an exhibition match in the country between top Chinese and Swedish players, to be held in an underwater restaurant.

The ambassador also announced his plans to establish a table tennis club for diplomats in Beijing.