SUN Chenghao, Fellow, Center for International Security and Strategy, Tsinghua University

On April 13, 1971, the U.S. table tennis delegation arrived in Beijing, and friendly matches between Chinese and American table tennis players followed, marking the beginning of “Ping Pong Diplomacy” and a historic turning point in China-U.S. relations. On February 21, 1972, President Richard Nixon visited China, and on April 18, he met with the Chinese table tennis delegation in the White House Rose Garden, setting U.S.-China relations on the path toward normalization. Over the past half-century, while official relations between China and the U.S. have had their ups and downs, people-to-people relations have surged, providing significant impetus for the stable advancement of bilateral ties.

“Ping Pong Diplomacy” once established a successful model where grassroots friendships facilitated exchanges and reconciliation between nations. However, after experiencing the “trade war” and the COVID-19 pandemic, can cultural and people-to-people exchanges continue to be a crucial pillar of China-U.S. relations?

There is a traditional saying in China, “Take history as a mirror”. The history of interactions between China and the U.S. reflects the increasing openness and inclusiveness of the two peoples. Over the past few decades, people-to-people exchanges have played a unique and vital role in the development of China-U.S. relations. From “Ping Pong Diplomacy” to productive exchanges in education, culture, technology, healthcare, and many other fields, they have been a driving force in the development of bilateral relations.

The first milestone was in October 1978 when an understanding on educational exchanges between the two countries was reached. China sent 500 scholars to study at American universities, while the U.S. sent 50 scholars to China for exchange visits.

The following year, during Vice-Premier of the State Council Deng Xiaoping’s visit to the U.S., the Agreement Between the United States and China on Cooperation in Science and Technology was signed. This marked the formal beginning of government-level people-to-people exchanges, and it established new mechanisms like the Joint Commission and protocols to facilitate cooperation. Both sides agreed on the exploration of more flexible and diverse forms of exchange, the establishment of additional cooperation projects, and the expansion of cooperation scale during this phase.

While in the last decade of the 20th century, people-to-people exchanges between the two countries were temporarily halted due to tensions in government relations, after the turn of the millennium, grassroots interactions gradually resumed and entered a phase of comprehensive development. There were breakthroughs both in terms of areas of development and the scope of influence. People-to-people exchanges gradually became an important means of promoting bilateral relations and helped enhance communication mechanisms for the two countries’ leaders, including bilateral diplomacy and direct or indirect meetings, which facilitated strategic-level dialogues. During this period, cooperation needs in economic and trade, security, and even national strategy became significant drivers of people-to-people exchanges.

After a relatively slow development in the first decade of the 21st century, the favorable international environment led the two governmentss to establish the China-U.S. High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange mechanism in May 2010. This mechanism, which is a significant milestone in the history of China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges, witnessed an increasingly institutionalized and mature grassroots interaction between the two countries.

Subsequently, China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges entered a golden era. In addition to education, the field of technology established China-U.S. Innovation Forums to provide platforms for cooperation. In February 2017, the U.S.-China Young Scientist Forum held in the U.S. focused on topics such as environmental pollution and governance, leaving a deep impression. In the cultural realm, various types of artistic performances and the movie “Born in China”, a result of China-U.S. cooperation, showcased images of partnership to global audiences. Behind this were the sincere friendships forged by teams from both countries during the challenging process of filming in difficult natural conditions. In the field of healthcare, there were numerous forums and research conferences. During the Ebola outbreak in multiple African countries in 2014, China and the U.S. collaborated by sending expert teams, sharing information, and jointly developing operational guidelines and protocols.

However, China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges are currently facing unprecedented challenges. Disagreements between China and the U.S. since 2019, as well as factors like the COVID-19 pandemic, have caused noticeable damage to bilateral people-to-people exchanges. The “America First” policy of former U.S. President Trump and the deteriorating perception of China in the U.S. amid the pandemic have had a significant impact on people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. The Chinese public’s view of the U.S. has also become increasingly negative. Additionally, the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant reduction in the travel of people between the two countries. Many exchange activities have been repeatedly postponed or shifted to online formats, which hardly helps clarify misunderstandings between the two peoples.

It’s important to note that despite the challenges at the official level of China-U.S. relations, people-to-people interactions and exchanges have shown remarkable resilience and vitality. In recent years, interactions between the two countries have followed a pattern of three tracks running in parallel.

First, there are interactions between trade and business groups that help solidify the foundation of the bilateral relationship. For example, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in the 2021 fiscal year, U.S. agricultural exports to China reached a record-breaking $33.4 billion, accounting for 19.4% of total agricultural exports. Approximately 30 influential American business groups have written letters urging U.S. President Biden to continue contact with China on economic and trade issues and to reduce the burden on the public and businesses caused by tariff hikes.

Second, there is mutual support and assistance between the peoples of the two countries. In 2019, which marked the 40th anniversary of friendly relations between Hubei Province and the State of Ohio, the Ohio Development Services Agency expressed its willingness to allocate supplies from the Ohio Department of Health and hospitals for donation to Hubei Province when it learned of the serious COVID-19 situation there. Many other provinces and cities in China received support from American sister cities. China also provided assistance to the U.S. with critical supplies during the early stages of the pandemic.

Third, young people from both countries are playing a significant role in driving the relationship forward. Young people from the two countries who grew up in the internet age have a more open and inclusive perspective, share common interests in global issues, and both countries’ universities organize many youth exchange programs. Even during the pandemic, Center for International Security and Strategy, Tsinghua University, where I work, continue to organize online dialogues with students from Yale University to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing China-U.S. relations.

Starting with the upcoming APEC Summit, the future of China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges looks promising and worth anticipating. It should continue to be prepared to face challenges and opportunities.

The Israel-Palestine conflict and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, along with various global risks, indicate that the world is still fraught with challenges. Additionally, China’s development and the pursuit of national interests by the U.S. will likely continue to cause differences between the two countries, especially in high-tech and trade areas. In the short term, the U.S. is unlikely to change its view of China as a strategic competitor.

But competition doesn’t necessarily lead to confrontation, and competition doesn’t have to be a zero-sum fight. Events like the APEC Leaders’ Summit in San Francisco and high-level meetings between the two governments have helped improve the current atmosphere. The sixth China International Import Expo in Shanghai, starting on November 5, is also welcoming a strong U.S. delegation, featuring many American agricultural and food sector companies making their debut. These developments highlight the resilience of the bilateral relations.

The ability and potential for communication and interaction between the people of the two countries has always transcended geopolitical conflicts, economic and financial friction, and differences in stances and viewpoints. This has been a significant force continuously pulling the two countries back onto a stable path. There is reason to believe that in the future, there will be more flights, ships, tourists, scholars and students crossing the Pacific, surpassing differences in various areas. They will build strong, mutually beneficial bonds based on the pursuit of common interests for both countries and the world, becoming that critical “ping pong ball” in China-U.S. relations.

 (YANG Yimeng also contributes to this article.)