On January 21, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in San Francisco Zhang Jianmin and his wife Zheng Xin attended an event commemorating the 55th anniversary of China-US ping-pong diplomacy, hosted by Asia Society Northern California and Seattle (ASNC). Nearly 100 guests attended the event, including Gary Rieschel, Chair of the ASNC Advisory Board, Max Baucus, former US Ambassador to China, Judy Hoarfrost, a participant in ping-pong diplomacy and former US national team member as well as representatives from various sectors.

Consul General Zhang vividly recounted the historic significance of the events 55 years ago, when a "small ball moved the big ball", breaking the ice between China and the US and opening the door to people-to-people exchanges. He encouraged all parties to draw wisdom from the spirit of "Friendship First, Competition Second", and guided by Chinese President Xi Jinping's vision that "the hope of China-US relationship lies in the people", to continue actively supporting and participating in people-to-people exchanges between China and the US.

Guests agreed that people-to-people exchanges are of great importance to enhancing mutual understanding and cooperation between China and the US. They pledged to continue carrying forward the spirit of ping-pong diplomacy and passing on the tradition of China-US friendship. During the event, friendly ping-pong matches were held, in which staff members from the Consulate General also took part, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere.