Chinese Mission to the EU holds China-EU table tennis friendship tournament

Last weekend (5 September), the Mission of China to the EU and the Euroclub jointly hosted the China-EU Table Tennis Friendship Tournament in Brussels. Ambassador Cai Run, head of the Mission of China to the EU and Didier Leroy, vice-president of the European Table Tennis Union attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks. Chinese ambassador to Belgium, Fei Shengchao, performed the ceremonial opening serve. The tournament received support from the European Table Tennis Union and the China Table Tennis College. Yan Sen, vice-president of the China Table Tennis College and former world champion, as well as Zhang Yining, former world champion and coach, provided pre-match guidance to the participating players from China and Europe. More than 100 table tennis enthusiasts from China, the European institutions and the European Parliament participated in the event. Profound changes and turbulence In his remarks, ambassador Cai Run noted that the world today is undergoing profound changes and turbulence. China and the EU enjoy a relationship of greater strategic significance and global relevance. It is all the more important for both sides to stay committed to the positioning of partnership, uphold cooperation as the defining feature of our relationship, and resolve economic and trade differences through dialogue and consultation. Strengthening exchanges and cooperation in the field of table tennis will help deepen mutual understanding and friendship between China and the EU, and promote the sound and steady development of China-EU relations. Ping-pong diplomacy Vice-president Leroy of the European Table Tennis Union said that China and the EU are two major forces in the world. He expressed the hope that through ping-pong diplomacy, both sides could move beyond differences, strengthen exchanges, enhance mutual understanding, bring people closer together, and promote the development of EU-China relations. The tournament featured a team competition format with mixed Chinese-European teams in both singles and doubles. Chinese and European players teamed up and played side-by-side, drawing continuous applause from the audience. The matches were marked by exciting moments and highlights, with a warm and friendly atmosphere throughout. This stakeholder article is paid for by a third party. All opinions in this article reflect the views of the author and not of EUobserver.