Somewhere in the Taiwan Strait - The inaugural China-Taiwan Table Tennis Challenge (dubbed 'Ping Pong Diplomacy Redux') will be held this year at a neutral site somewhere between Taiwan and mainland China.
Borrowing a play from the attempt to normalize US-Chinese relations during the early seventies by Richard "Tricky Dick" Nixon and Chairman Mao "Personality Cult" Zedong through their mutual love for ping pong, the two main competitors featured in this contest will be the People's Liberation Army (PLA) vs. the Republic of China Navy (ROCN).
This first-annual event is intended to take the place of more traditional military 'exercises' usually held at this time of year. Those exercises typically promoted fear, intimidation, and mutual distrust.
The only problem with this new strategy appears to be (once again) that neither side wishes to lose. Judges are currently being readied to throw matches in favor of a tie outcome, rather than have either side lose face. If things go as planned, the next logical step in the diplomacy process will be badminton, followed by horseshoes, and then lawn darts.
