In April, a US student delegation from Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) visited China as part of the “50,000 in Five Years” initiative, aimed at fostering educational and cultural exchanges between young Americans and Chinese over five years. The students engaged in friendly pickleball competitions with their Chinese peers in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing, alongside cultural activities such as city tours and traditional handicraft workshops. Pickleball, highlighted by Chinese President Xi Jinping as a modern bridge for youth interaction, was seen as a symbol of growing friendship and mutual understanding between the two nations.
President Xi responded warmly to the delegation’s letter, congratulating them on their visit and expressing hope that these young participants would become ambassadors of friendship, strengthening China-US relations through continued cultural exchanges. The initiative draws parallels to the historic 1970s ping-pong diplomacy that helped restore diplomatic ties between the countries. Meanwhile, MCPS has become the first US school district to offer pickleball as a varsity sport, expanding the program across all its high schools and promoting the sport as a tool for international connection and youth engagement.
