From Ping Pong to Politics, China and U.S. Clicking Again

China World News Industries

NAGOYA-- April 20, 1971. The U.S. table tennis team has just returned from visiting China’s capital, Beijing, shortly after the 31^st World Table Tennis Championship in Nagoya, Japan. This is some groundbreaking news that has shocked the world in its entirety. Chinese and the U.S. citizens haven’t visited each other in over a decade. The presidents of the U.S. haven’t even been there in their lifetime. With more insight on the story, here’s a short article explaining the timeline of events that occurred.

China’s invitation didn’t come immediately though. In fact, they who expected it were agitated it didn’t happen sooner. While the tournament was going on, China’s premier Zhou Enlai stated hinted that he was ready to welcome the Americans with warm greetings. But, minor complications had to be dealt with first. But, that wouldn’t stop the American and Chinese teams from having their own fun. Later that week, the Chinese plays and American players had exchanged several souvenirs symbolizing peace. This quickly spread to Mao Zedong, who immediately invited the Americans to come to their country. In a call made to his team, Mao said “’considering that the American team has made the request many times with friendly enthusiasm, it has been approved to invite it, including its leaders, to visit our country.’”

Before these times though, life was taking a weird rollercoaster for the two countries. Around the year 1945, the U.S. began questioning Russia’s socialistic ways, but not China’s. Later on China severed its ties with the U.S. This conflict is best summed up by a quote from Zhou Enlai that was stated on April 14^th, “The Chinese and American people used to have frequent exchanges. Then came a long period of severance. Your visit has opened the door to friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

Also, since December 18, 1970 U.S. President Richard Nixon has been trying to enter China, trying to become the first president to do so. A president travelling there may seem leaps and bounds away, but a quote by Mao Zedong says otherwise when he says “’He might come quietly in a plane, either as a tourist or a president…I don’t think I’ll wrangle with him, though I’ll criticize him.’”

Ping Pong: Not a Peace Treaty, a Game.

This Wednesday it was reported that the U.S. returned from their trip to China. Some are saying it is the beginning of a new page of friendship for the U.S. and Chinese. But, they are blindly saying this without even looking back on it for one moment. Not only is this not a good thing, it’s terrible! A ping pong team can’t make any changes, minor or major, in the world!

            If the U.S. and China become friends, the U.S. will try to eliminate our culture and ideas! This is shown best in the Cold War. They are democratic, and our communism will not please them, therefore they’ll do everything in their power to change us. Will ping pong save China then? Not only that, but if they fail in changing China, a war is bound to break out! There’s no chance of it not happening. And lastly, do people expect an amateur sport like ping pong to unify to dominant countries? This visit was a fluke, as you can see.

            Although opening China up to new things like trade with the U.S. It can be bad as well! What if China isn’t seeking anything from the U.S. or vice-versa, then what a waste of time this whole commotion was to organize a trip in the first place. It just doesn’t make sense, seeing how China has no room for improvement in its government, culture, or economy. Not only that, but it takes away from China’s superiority over the world by lowering itself to the U.S.’s level.

            Chinese citizens should take some time to read this article, or look back on the past couple of days and realize: nothing good will come out of this in any way. China as a whole should recall their past thoughts and statements and try to forget they even made this mistake.

Literature Takes a New Stand in China, as Does Music and Art

Art:
Art during the Cultural Revolution was very productive. There was an overflow of paintings and drawings, but of what exactly? Since Mao Zedong had started the Cultural Revolution, he was considered a god. Therefore many painting were drawn of him. The one below on the left is a picture of Mao Zedong on his way to An Yuen. If you look, it appears to be that Mao is bigger than the mountains, regardless of foreground and background. This symbolizes his power. And now, on the right we have a picture of Mao leading people who appear to be low class, to the mountain top. This was because people thought he saved millions by giving poor people wealth.



http://when-we-were-young.tripod.com/artgallery/8061.jpg
Photo taken by: unspecified



             



http://when-we-were-young.tripod.com/artgallery/8022.jpg
Photo taken by: unspecified



                                                                                        

Music:

During the Cultural Revolution, many more musical pieces were created. Not like today though, where there is a variety in music. All the songs back then had to do with how times were changing for the better, how great Mao was, or even about the working class. Times changed after the revolution, and much of the music became strongly less popular.

Literature:

Expectantly, lots of literature was written during the Cultural Revolution. New types of literature, at that. One thing written many times over and over was something called da-zi-bao. This was a type of writing where one would write mean and often untruthful things about someone. Most of the time the victim was forced to read the dai-zi-bao out loud, or their house was vandalized with it. Other than this, nothing much else was written.

Religion? No way! Belief Systems, Heck Yeah!

During the Cultural Revolution, beliefs and religion were widely changed. The biggest example is how former poor people now argued against almost anything that people said, claiming it to be “bourgeois” or “four olds”. People believed they were entering a new era of China where they had all the power because of Mao Zedong, and that they were the only people right in the world. Also, another big topic was that people believed they could call rich people “black whelps” and other insults, and didn’t even look back on those things. People said that they were brainwashed during the revolution, because they believed everything Mao told them and looked up to him in every aspect of life. On top of that, these beliefs are still affecting people today because some still cherish Mao’s thoughts and saying, so they continue to try to harass people in China’s lesser communist population. Mao’s quotes that people so highly talked about all came from his “Little Red Book”. One quote he said was “If there is to be revolution, there must be a revolutionary party. Without a revolutionary party, without a party built on the Marxist-Leninist revolutionary style, it is impossible to lead the broad masses of the people in defeating imperialism and its running dogs.” When kids read something like this, they were brainwashed because they wanted to feel like they had power. This was part of Maoism. Maoism is Mao Zedong’s thoughts, whether they’re composed in a book or written as da-zi-bao. This was not seen to be China’s religion at the time because Mao eliminated the policy of having a religion, thus making them atheist.

Zhuang Zedong Ends His Silence! Exclusive Interview!

My Interview with Zhuang Zedong, a famous Chinese ping pong player during the Cultural Revolution that helped to unify China and America.

Q. How did you react to when the U.S. ping pong team was scheduled to visit?

A. When I first heard of the trip, I was a little worried about the whole situation. Then, as our two countries began to talk more and more, I was thrilled to know they were coming. I got my whole team prepared, we made and bought gifts for them, and I even taught my teammates the little English I know!

Q. Explain why you gave U.S. ping pong member Glenn Cowan a silk screen portrait? What was meant from the gesture?

A. Well, I had always admired the Glenn and respected him as a player, so when I saw him practicing on our practice site, I knew I should give him something. By the time I came back, I saw their bus leaving and thought I was too late…Then, as I saw Glenn stay behind by accident, I quickly showed him the way to our bus. There I gave him his gift. By giving the gift to him I wanted to show him that we were friends, not enemies from different countries.

Q. Do you expect to get anything back in return from Glenn?

A. Honestly, no. It was just a nice gesture meant from me and doesn’t have to be returned. It was a symbol of peace. If Glenn feels it’s necessary to return the favor, let him do as he pleases!

Q. Do you feel that by sending this gift you have started the beginning of a new era between the U.S. and China?

A. Well, I would like to think, yes. I feel like it started when the team entered China, but that I sped up the process with this act of hospitality.

Q. Before you go, what is your outlook for the future of China and the U.S.?

A. Well, from my perspective as a ping pong player, I think things are going splendid. Maybe politicians think differently, but it’s an opinionated question. I hope that something good for the two happens because I’ll be able to look back and think: “wow, I helped the world in such an enormous way just by doing something so simple anyone could’ve done. It would just make me feel great.

China is taking a New Turn in Life, is it for Better or Worse?

Dear mother and father,

                        Unfortunately, I fear shan’t be able to visit you anytime soon. Everyday, more and more airlines are becoming unavailable to the public. As well as that, I can’t even step outside without being called a black whelp! Life is getting tough, but I refuse to blame grandfather’s job as a landlord to be the sole cause of our misfortune. Speaking of misfortune, how do you fair in Europe? I beg you don’t return for me, it will just make all three of us suffer. On that note, our house was searched today and they took away all our valuables, calling them “four olds”. He even accused me of performing foreign rituals! As if I even knew what that was! Besides my affairs, Yan Lin is having a wonderful time at school. She boasts how all the other students envy her grades, so it’s good to see she isn’t getting trouble. She has been elected for the propaganda board too! She states that she’s honored to write da-zi-bao, and will make sure to not write any about us. It’s good to see Yan Lin excel in school, but I fear she’ll attempt to break off from us like other children have done to their families. Aunt Qi-Lin has tried to talk her out of even thinking about it, but after her house was vandalized from the red guards, Yin Lan seems to be even more excited to do the honors. Unfortunately, I have to leave on a bad note. There are rumors spreading that I’m going to be detained at my work place, so I’ll be unable to write to you. If good news arrives, I shall find some way or another to mail you though.

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