NANCHANG, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Although they did not speak the same language, Wesley Gabrielson of the United States and his Chinese partner Wang Yue connected effortlessly on the pickleball court.
The 2026 China-U.S. Friendship Pickleball Event was held in Ganzhou City in east China's Jiangxi Province from May 8 to 11, featuring young players from Utah Tech University, the Oregon Friendship Pickleball Delegation and Chinese pickleball teams.
For Gabrielson, captain of the Oregon Friendship Pickleball men's team, the trip was nothing short of incredible.
"It's just been a great experience overall," he said. "This is my first time in China, everyone here brings such warmth. Seeing China is totally different from hearing about it. A lot of my previous impressions have been refreshed after coming here."
Gabrielson and Wang, a PE teacher from south China's Guangdong Province, communicated on the court with simple phrases and hand gestures. "We'd only just met, but once we got that connection going, it was just so much fun," he added.
The event offered a glimpse of a growing cross-border friendship sparked by the sport, one that traces its roots to a visit a year ago.
In April 2025, a group of 44 teachers and students from 13 U.S. schools visited China under Chinese President Xi Jinping's "50,000 in Five Years" initiative, which aims to bring 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programs in a five-year span.
After visiting Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing, the delegation sent a letter to Xi, expressing their gratitude for the initiative, noting they had forged unforgettable friendships with Chinese youths during the trip.
Xi replied to the delegation's letter, saying he was pleased to see that pickleball has become a new bond for youth exchanges between China and the United States.
After competing alongside Chinese players, Ella Boydston from Utah Tech University said sports are a truly universal language, adding that she had been struck by Ganzhou's natural beauty. "It's very green here. Seeing the mountains and trees while playing, it's pretty unforgettable," she said.
Originating in the United States, pickleball is a paddle sport that blends elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. It is easy for beginners to pick up and has rapidly gained popularity in China.
"We don't even need to speak the same language. Paddle tapping is a universal sign in pickleball," Boydston added. "You don't even have to be able to speak to each other. Sports just bring people together."
The scene echoes a well-known story from 55 years ago. Judy Hoarfrost joined a U.S. table tennis delegation to China in 1971 at the age of 15. That trip marked the beginning of what became known as Ping-Pong Diplomacy and helped lay the groundwork for the establishment of official diplomatic relations between China and the United States.
"It's wonderful to be here and to bring a group of young people. Most of them have never been to China, and just to see their eyes be so curious and light up," said Hoarfrost, now head of the Oregon pickleball delegation.
"55 years ago, that trip to China changed my life. In 1971, everything was very new to me too. It was just an amazing China at that time. And now, everything is new for them too," she added.
In April, Hoarfrost attended commemorations marking the 55th anniversary of China-U.S. Ping-Pong Diplomacy.
In a congratulatory letter to the event, Xi noted that it is of great significance to advancing the China-U.S. friendly ties that the youth from both sides renew the affinity brought by Ping-Pong Diplomacy and engage in a series of sports exchange activities.
Hoarfrost said Xi's words deeply touched her. "I think any relationship is based on friendship and trust, and you develop that by getting to know each other, spending time with each other, being open-minded, whether pickleball or table tennis. I had that opportunity when I was 15, and I think it's really important to give youth those opportunities as well," she said.
Luke Calvert, 22, has been playing pickleball for just over two years. "It's a new sport, which means we can build new connections, new possibilities," he said. "Pickleball is all about building friendships, building a community. I hope we can keep in touch after I go back, and maybe come back to China again for more matches, meet more friends."
According to the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), organizer of the pickleball event, many American youth delegations have been invited to China for exchange and study programs since the launch of the "50,000 in Five Years" initiative. This year's focus is on sports exchanges, with pickleball as the first event, to be followed by activities including table tennis, basketball and baseball.
"Most of them want to come back after their visit, which means the goal of youth exchanges has been achieved. Enhancing mutual understanding and objective perception between the peoples of the two countries, especially among young people, through people-to-people exchanges such as sports, will lay a solid foundation for China-U.S. relations," said Sun Tao, director general of the CPAFFC's Department of American and Oceanian Affairs. ■
