Positive outlook

In 1971, the US delegation also toured eastern China's Shanghai. Yao Zhenxu, a Chinese table tennis player who accompanied Cowan, recalled a home-cooked meal during a visit to a Shanghai workers' residential building, an experience he remembers to this day.

"After the matches, it was all about friendship," he said.

This month, some of the US players, together with American high school students and young athletes, traveled to Shanghai for a series of events to mark the 55th anniversary.

An event at Shanghai University of Sport on April 13 featured table tennis and flag football matches. The friendly exchanges between the two nations also involved technological innovations, including humanoid robots and smart table tennis serving robots.

Louis Levene, a 25-year-old US table tennis coach, was visiting China for the first time, and was surprised by Shanghai's orderliness and residents' kindness.

He said he is a firm believer in the connecting power of table tennis.

"It's something that you can do for your whole life. Whether you're a kid or 90 years old, you can still play and you can still have fun and connect with so many people," Levene said.

Cameron Dicker, a place kicker for the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers, spent 11 years of his childhood in Shanghai.

This month, he returned from the US after 15 years and was impressed by the city's technological and infrastructure upgrades.

"It is so cool coming back here. I think everything is really upgraded technology wise, and there is a lot of newer infrastructure and it is really beautiful," he said.

"Growing up here really helped me just be able to connect with everybody."

He is optimistic about deeper sports cooperation, and hopes to see an NFL game played in China one day.