On the 6th, the Global Times published an article written by a former American diplomat in the Washington Post, which argues that basketball could be the catalyst for a thaw between the two countries amid rising tensions between the two countries.
On September 6, 2023, the Global Times reported that as tensions between the US and China rise, a former US diplomat said that basketball could be the trigger for a thaw between the two countries, similar to the “ping-pong diplomacy” of the past. This article was published in the Washington Post, an American newspaper.
The article introduces a text published in the Washington Post on the 4th. Rural basketball tournaments have been attracting attention in China recently, with videos showing hundreds of spectators gathered around a simple basketball court in a rural village watching local players score points, which has been shared both in China and abroad. I was told it was spreading. Jimmy Butler of the NBA Miami Heat of the US professional basketball league visited China to participate in a live rural basketball tournament event, raising hopes that “basketball could become the 21st century’s version of ping-pong diplomacy.” He praised it as a good thing.
“Personal contact between people from different cultures can help build trust and reduce misunderstandings, but unfortunately opportunities for citizen diplomacy between the United States and China are becoming fewer and fewer.” It is clear that when people from different countries never meet each other and do not try to learn about each other’s culture, history and language, they tend to demonize each other.
“Basketball has the potential to provide the common ground that both countries need. In 2019, NBA Houston Rockets GM Morey made inappropriate comments related to Hong Kong. “Although there were some troubles that halted cooperation between China and the club, these frictions can be overcome. Basketball can still build bridges between young people in the United States and China.”
The text suggested that mutual exchanges could be possible, such as inviting Chinese rural basketball players to camps held in urban areas in the United States, or having urban American players play in rural areas of China over the summer. “The rapid spread of the Chinese rural basketball video proves to Chinese and Americans that they do not need to be enemies of each other.” He then mentioned that a Chinese leader once said, “The friendship of nations lies in the affinity of people,” and added, “Youth players from the United States and China quickly become friends on the court, and when they become adults, they can come to the negotiating table.” “We may meet again. Their shared experiences will be the cornerstone of cooperation between our two countries.” (Translation and editing/Kawajiri)
2023-09-08 22:56:21
#basketball #diplomacy #China #reality #media
