Chinese tour off, then on again

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32977, 25 July 1972, Page 14

Chinese tour off, then on again

(N.Z. P. A. -Reuter— Copyright)

SYDNEY, July 24.

The two-week tour of the Chinese table tennis team, which was cancelled last night because of a simultaneous visit by a women’s basketball side from Taiwan, will go ahead.

In a joint statement after day-long discussions, the Australian Table Tennis Association and leaders of the table tennis delegation of the People’s Republic of China said tonight they were pleased to announce the programme for the “friendly visit” of the delegation would proceed with only two alterations.

The team will play an additional m&tch in Sydney this Wednesday, billed as an international tournament, and will travel to Melbourne a day late on Thursday. The Australian organisers cancelled the tour after the leader of the Chinese delegation, Chen Yuan-kuo, said the team found the presence of the Taiwanese side at the same time “intolerable.” Chen told an Australian Labour Party (A.L.P.) luncheon for the 21 table tennis players today they would try their best to Overcome obstacles put in the way of their tour.

Tonight’s announcement said: “We are very happy that discussions proceeded in a most friendly manner. “Accordingly, the first friendly match between our two countries will now be played tomorrow night, Tuesday, July 25, at the Hordern Pavillion, Sydney.” The joint statement said the Chinese delegation had agreed to play an international tournament at the pavilion on Wednesday.

“This will not affect the matches scheduled for Melbourne, the highlight of which will be a series of games to be played on Friday, July 28, between the Chinese players and a friendship mixed doubles game between two Chinese players partnered by two Australians,” the statement read. “At the conclusion of the

matches in Melbourne, the delegation will play two matches in Adelaide and two matches in Perth.” Chen would make no ' comment to Reuter on a report that he had spoken to Peking at least twice in the last 24 hours on whether to carry on the tour. The president of the A.T.T.A. (Mr L. Warmby) said that he would like to express his appreciation of the untiring efforts by the ' Chinese delegation leaders to solve the problems confronting both the delegation < and the association. < He told journalists that the i delegation had shown i “friendly co-operation” and i understanding throughout the discussions. i “We are delighted the ’

tour can now proceed,” Mr Warmby said. Earlier today, at Sydney airport, the leader of the Taiwan women’s basketball team, Mr John Lui, said he would not alter his schedule to avoid clashing with the table tennis players’ visit, though he expressed sympathy for them. The basketballers are due to visit Melbourne and Sydney at the same time as the table tennis group. At tonight’s press conference, Chen gave a “no comment” answer to other questions about the delegation’s visit and left the specially convened press conference just minutes after Mr Warmby read the dual statement, and added his own words.