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Dennis Rodman back in North Korea: Basketball, the new ping-pong diplomacy? Dennis Rodman back in North Korea: Basketball, the new ping-pong diplomacy?
(about 20 hours later)
Right now, there are few people in the west who know more about the secretive North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, than Dennis Rodman, a former US basketball star with the Chicago Bulls. Right now, there are few people in the west who know more about the secretive North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, than Dennis Rodman, a former Chicago Bulls basketball star.
That both men have struck up a friendship - Kim is huge basketball fan - has probably led to some bemusement in Washington. That both men have struck up a friendship - Kim is huge basketball fan - has probably led to much head-scratching in Washington.
Nonetheless, Rodman has accepted an invitation from Pyongyang to return to see his "friend for life", and this time he's taken a team of ex-NBA stars to play in a charity game to mark Kim's birthday. Nonetheless, Rodman has accepted an invitation from Pyongyang to return to North Korea to see his "friend for life", and this time he's taken some ex-NBA stars to play a charity match to mark Kim's birthday.
Accused by critics of helping to legitimise the pariah regime, Rodman and his supporters have hit back, citing US-China "ping-pong diplomacy" in the 1970's as an example of how sport can help to thaw political hostility. Accused of cozying up to the pariah state, Rodman and his supporters have hit back, citing the success of "ping-pong diplomacy" in the 1970s (it is widely accepted that Beijing's invitation to a US table tennis team to play exhibition games in 1971 helped diffuse Cold War tensions)
For Rodman's band of sporting emissaries, the North Korean trip, although not backed by Washington, will feel just as groundbreaking to them as it did to the US table tennis team invited to play in communist China over forty years ago. For Rodman's band of sporting emissaries, the North Korean trip, although not backed by Washington, will seem as groundbreaking as the trip made by the US table tennis team forty years ago.
The 1971 US tour largely came about after a conversation at the Nagoya championships when two players, one Chinese the other American, put aside politics and talked sport. On hearing about the fraternisation, China's Chairman Mao Zedong, perhaps sensing a propaganda coup, decided to drop the 'down with American imperialism' rhetoric and invited a US team to China. To his surprise the Americans agreed. The unlikely tour came about after two table tennis players - one Chinese the other American - put aside their political differences at the Nagoya world championships, choosing instead to talk about sport. On hearing about the fraternisation, China's Chairman Mao Zedong, perhaps sensing a propaganda coup, dropped his American imperialism rhetoric and invited a US team to China. To his surprise the Americans agreed.
Although the Guardian welcomed China's attempts to 'come in from the cold', the paper's leader column urged caution.Although the Guardian welcomed China's attempts to 'come in from the cold', the paper's leader column urged caution.
Relations between the US and China had been improving before the world's press got a hold of "ping-pong diplomacy" story. However, President Nixon, eager to build closer ties with China following a disastrous war in Vietnam, travelled to Beijing in 1972. Nixon became the first US President to set foot in mainland China while in office, later describing his trip as "the week that changed the world". Sino-US relations had been improving before the world's press got hold of "ping-pong diplomacy" story. However, President Nixon, eager to build closer ties with China following a disastrous war in Vietnam, travelled to Beijing in 1972, a year after the US ping-pong team. Nixon, who became the first US President to set foot in mainland China while in office, later describing his historic trip as "the week that changed the world".
The important diplomatic steps that both countries made in the 1970's owed much to the courage shown by the Chinese table tennis player Zhuang Zedong, who ignored team orders and talked to his American counterpart in Nogoya. The Guardian published Zhuang Zedong's obituary following his death in 2013.The important diplomatic steps that both countries made in the 1970's owed much to the courage shown by the Chinese table tennis player Zhuang Zedong, who ignored team orders and talked to his American counterpart in Nogoya. The Guardian published Zhuang Zedong's obituary following his death in 2013.
Published in the Guardian on 14 Feb 2013. Click on image to read in full.Published in the Guardian on 14 Feb 2013. Click on image to read in full.
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