WJEC Eduqas GCSE USA History Practice Test

Where did Ping-pong diplomacy begin?

Olympic Games in Tokyo, 1964 World Table Tennis Championships in Japan, 1971 World Cup Table Tennis in France, 1970 Exhibition match in Beijing, 1972

Correct Answer:

World Table Tennis Championships in Japan, 1971

Explanation:

Ping-pong diplomacy started from a chance, friendly exchange at an international table tennis event. In 1971, the World Table Tennis Championships were held in Nagoya, Japan, where American players connected with Chinese players. That meeting led to an invitation from Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai for the American team to visit China, opening formal lines of communication between the two governments and helping to thaw decades of tension. This quick shift in relations set the stage for President Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972. The other events listed didn’t spark this opening: the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, the 1970 World Cup in France, and a later 1972 Beijing exhibition all came after the initial moment in Nagoya or are unrelated to how the diplomatic shift began.

Access more questions from this quiz

Continue to WJEC Eduqas GCSE USA History Practice Test for more practice questions and the full quiz experience.

Access More Questions