Fifty Years On, China Ramps Up ‘Ping-Pong Diplomacy’ in South Pacific

Papua New Guinea table tennis players Goada Elly and David Thomas play on a table during a practice session at a Beijing-funded facility in central Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on Nov. 19, 2018. David Gray/Reuters

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea—Inside a Chinese-funded facility perched on a steep hill overlooking Port Moresby’s sparkling harbor, Papua New Guinea’s best table tennis players are honing techniques picked up months earlier on a sponsored trip to Shanghai.

China’s backing is helping the sport, also known as ping-pong, establish an unlikely foothold in the Pacific nation better known for its love affair with rugby league.