以匹克球架起心桥续写中美友谊佳话

Pickleball Across the Pacific: A New Chapter in China-U.S. Friendship

——谢锋大使在“匹克球之夜”活动上的致辞

 ——Remarks by Ambassador Xie Feng at “The Night of Pickleball & the Premiere of China Trip Documentary”

尊敬的蒙郡公立学区学校总监莫兰博士和夫人，

体育部主任沙利文博士和夫人，

詹妮弗·斯特鲁伯尔女士、伊莎贝尔·斯特鲁伯尔女士，

美中贸委会会长谭森先生，

同学们，朋友们：

Dr. Peter Moran, Chief of Schools from Montgomery County Public Schools and his wife,

Dr. Jeffrey Sullivan, Director of Systemwide Athletics and his wife,

Mrs. Jennifer Strouble and Ms. Isabelle Strouble,

Mr. Sean Stein, President of the US-China Business Council,

Dear Students，

Dear Friends,

欢迎大家来中国驻美国大使馆欢度“匹克球之夜”！去年8月，我们在这里与马里兰州青少年匹克球访华团的朋友们进行了一场酣畅淋漓的友谊赛，今天老友新朋欢聚一堂，共同启动“中国行”纪录片首映，一起重温中美青少年从“以球会友”到“以心相交”的美好历程。

Welcome to the Chinese Embassy in the United States on this special night of pickleball!

Last August, we enjoyed a lively and spirited friendship match, here at the Embassy, with young friends from Maryland’s youth pickleball delegation.

Tonight, we are delighted to welcome both old and new friends, and celebrate the premiere of the China Trip Documentary— a film that captures beautiful stories about young Chinese and Americans connecting through pickleball and becoming true friends.

你们以球结缘，收获真挚友情。去年以来，你们同来自深圳、上海的两个中国师生访美代表团亲切互动，还在中国春节期间再次访华，在深圳、江西上犹、河南鹤壁、北京四地组织了“中美青少年匹克球友谊赛”。第二次访华的海莉发出感慨，“再来中国，就像是回到了第二个家”。上海小伙伴则从蒙哥马利郡回国后，专程赴京与你们相聚。匹克球让中美两国青少年的心越来越近。

Through pickleball, youdeveloped sincere friendship. Since last year, you have warmly engaged with two Chinese delegations of teachers and students from Shenzhen and Shanghai during their visits to the United States. During the Chinese New Year, you returned to China and participated in youth pickleball friendship matches in four places: Shenzhen, Shangyouin Jiangxi, Hebiin Henan, and Beijing.Haley, who was visiting China for the second time, said with emotion, “Coming back to China felt like returning to my second home.” Your friends from Shanghai, who had visited you in Montgomery County,even made a special trip to Beijing just to see you again. These touching moments show us how pickleball is bringing young people in China and the United States closer together.

你们以球互鉴，感知开放中国。2月访华期间，你们不仅在赛场上同中国同学们交流切磋，还在赛场外包饺子、吹糖人、画脸谱、逛花市、写对联、贴福字、看舞狮、杂技、川剧变脸，体验了一场原汁原味的“中国年”。你们的足迹纵贯中国南北，横跨大中小城市，走进了乡村、城镇和社区，多维度感受当代中国的方方面面。正如艾米丽所讲，真实的中国和媒体叙事截然不同，亲眼所见远比网络和书本描述更真切。

Through pickleball, you learned fromeach other — and experienced an openChina. During your visit in February, you did much more than play pickleball with Chinese friends on the court. Off the court, you made dumplings, tried sugar-figure blowing, painted opera masks, visited flower markets, wrote Spring Festival couplets, put up the character fu for good fortune, and watched lion dances, acrobatics, Sichuan Opera and face-changing performances. You experienced a truly authentic Chinese New Year. The trip took you across China, from north to south, and from major cities to smaller communities. You visited villages, towns, and neighborhoods, gaining a multi-dimensional view of life in today’s China. As Emilysaid, the real China is very different from media narratives. What you see with your own eyes is far more vivid and far more real than anything you may read online or in books.

你们以球相交，搭建交流桥梁。半个世纪前，小小乒乓球搭建起跨越太平洋的沟通之桥。如今的匹克球正为新时期中美人文交流划出优美弧线。起源于美国的匹克球运动，如今在中国也蓬勃发展，广东、河南、山东多地已将匹克球纳入中小学体育课程。从乒乓球到匹克球，变的是球拍，不变的是两国人民渴望友好的初心。

Through pickleball, you connected with one anotherand built bridges of communication. More than half a century ago, a small ping-pong ball helped build a bridge of communication across the Pacific. Today, pickleball is creating a new pathway for people-to-people exchange between our two countries. Although born in the United States, Pickleball is gaining popularity in China. In Guangdong, Henan, Shandong, and many other places, the sport has already made its way into physical education programs in primary and middle schools. From ping-pong to pickleball, the paddles have changed. Butour peoples’ shared wish for friendship remains as strong as ever.

各位朋友，

Dear Friends,

当前中美关系站在新的历史起点。半个月前，中美两国元首在北京举行了历史性、标志性的会晤，习近平主席和特朗普总统同意将“中美建设性战略稳定关系”作为两国关系的新定位，为未来3年乃至更长时间的中美关系作出战略指引，受到两国和国际社会的普遍欢迎。在为特朗普总统举行的欢迎宴会上，习近平主席说，55年前，中美开展“乒乓外交”，推开了中美冰封20多年的大门，成为当代国际关系史上的重大事件。特朗普总统也回顾了两国人民交往历程，表示美国人民和中国人民相互欣赏、相互尊重，友谊源远流长。北京会晤不仅为中美关系指明了方向，也为两国青年交流注入了新动能。近日，习近平主席复信参加“共航蔚蓝：中美青年友谊行”活动的两国学生，宣布“5年5万”倡议提前两年半实现预期目标。“5年5万”不只是一组令人振奋的数字，而是跨越大洋双向奔赴的最新实践，更是承接中美关系未来的青春承诺。

Today, China-U.S. relations stand at a new historical starting point. Half a month ago,our two presidents held a historic and landmark meeting in Beijing. President Xi Jinping and President Trump agreed on a new vision of building “a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability”.That provides strategic guidance for our bilateral relationship over the next three years and beyond. Itis well-received by the people of both countries and the international community.

At the welcome banquet for President Trump, President Xi noted that 55 years ago, “Ping-Pongdiplomacy” opened the door between China and the United States after over 20 years of estrangement, marking a milestone in contemporary international relations.President Trump also recalled the history of people-to-people exchanges, saying that the American and Chinese peoples share mutual appreciation and respect, and their friendship goes back a long way. The Beijing summit has charted the course for bilateral relations and given fresh momentum to youth exchange.

Just recently, President Xi Jinping replied to a letter from Chinese and American students taking part in A Shared Voyage: China-U.S. Youth Friendship Program. He noted that the initiative to invite 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study over five years has reached its goal two and a half years ahead of schedule. This is more than an inspiring number, but a powerful example of young people from our two countries reaching out to one another across the Pacific— and a youthful promise for the future of China-U.S. relations.

各位朋友，

Dear Friends,

我们要沿着两国元首明确的方向，朝着合作为主、竞争有度、分歧可控、和平可期的目标共同努力，推动中美关系稳定、健康、可持续发展，共同探索新时期中美正确相处之道。在此，我愿提出三点倡议：

Now it is up to us to follow the direction set by our two presidents. Let’s work together toward a relationship with cooperationas the mainstay, competition within proper limits, manageable differences and expectable peace. That way, we could advance the stable, sound and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations, and explore the right way for China and the United States to get along in this new era.

In that spirit, I would like to make three proposals.

第一，顺应时代潮流，同心凝聚共识。中美恰似球场两方，既要依规竞技，更要懂得相互尊重。竞争不可避免，但应该是你追我赶的积极竞争、遵守规则的公平竞争、共同提高的良性竞争，目的是为了成就更好的自己。这种相互尊重、和平共处、合作共赢的理性认知，既是读懂大国相处之道的逻辑，更是跨越“修昔底德陷阱”的秘钥。

First, we shouldfollow the trend of our times and expand common ground. China and the U.S. are like two playersonthe same sports court. We play by the rules and respect one another. Competition, where it exists, should be healthy and positive, guided by rules and aimed at mutual improvement. It should help bring out our best and become better versions of ourselves. The same approach applies to relations between major countries. Mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation are the key to moving safely beyond the so-called Thucydides Trap.

第二，扩大交流合作，共筑稳定根基。中美历史文化、社会制度、发展道路有别，但差异不是对立的理由，而是交流的契机、合作的动力。双方要不断拉长合作清单，缩短问题清单。习近平主席热忱欢迎更多美国青少年到中国参访、学习，特朗普总统也多次表达对中国留学生的欢迎。希望美方与中方相向而行，将元首共识尽快落到实处。

Second, we should expand exchanges and cooperation, and jointly strengthen the foundation of bilateral relations. China and the United States differ in history, culture, social system, and development path. But differences should not become barriers between us. Rather, they should open up new opportunities for mutual learning and cooperation. Our two sides should extend the list of cooperation and shorten the list of differences. President Xi Jinping warmly welcomes more American young people to visit and study in China. President Trump has also expressed on many occasions his welcome for Chinese students in the United States. We hope the U.S. side will work with us to deliver on this common understanding between our two presidents.

第三，彰显青春担当，携手开创未来。青年有担当，世界有希望。希望两国青年立足当下、放眼未来，聚焦气候变化、人工智能、公共卫生、粮食安全等全球性难题，积极践行人类命运共同体理念，用智慧破解难题，用笃行塑造未来，用青春守护和平，共赴人类美好新征程。

Third, we hope the young people can step forward and help shape our shared future.When the younger generation rises to its responsibilities, the world will have a brighter future. I hope the young people in China and the United States could stay grounded, think globally, and work together on challenges that affect us all — from climate change and artificial intelligence to public health and food security. As we work toward a global community with a shared future, I hope you will bring your talent to solving problems, your passion to driving change, and your strength to shaping a more peaceful and better future for all of us.

各位朋友，

Dear Friends,

今年是中美关系“大年”，中国“十五五”规划开局起步，美国则将迎来独立250周年。中美关系这艘巨轮已经从北京再出发，大家都是船上的水手。让我们在两国元首的掌舵领航下，以匹克球传承乒乓外交精神，以青春之我续写更多中美人民友好新故事，共同开创中美关系的光明未来。

2026 is a milestoneyear for China-U.S. relations.It is also the year when China begins its 15th Five-Year Plan, and the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of its independence. The giant vessel of China-U.S. relations has set sail from Beijing, and each of us is a sailor on this shared voyage. With our two Presidents charting the course, let us:

Carry forward the spirit of“Ping-Pong diplomacy” through pickleball;

Write new stories of China-U.S. friendship with the passion of youth;

And help usher in a brighter future for China-U.S. relations.

谢谢大家。

Thank you.