In Shanghai, students from University of Virginia try their hands at Ping-Pong Diplomacy.

History is filled with seemingly odd quirks that on the surface don't make much sense. A prime example is how table tennis became the ice-breaker that altered the course of China-U.S. relations in the 20th century. In 1971, the U.S. table tennis team received an official invitation to visit China and play exhibition matches against the Chinese team. The team was the first delegation of Americans to visit China in decades. Their trip was the start of what became known as "ping-pong diplomacy", which helped lay the groundwork for establishing official diplomatic relations between the two countries. Now 53 years later, a group of 12 students from the University of Virginia are having their own try at Ping-Pong Diplomacy.