Table tennis has helped connect China and the United States since 1971, when the US team's visit to Beijing sparked a thaw in relations.

The sport is poised to play a similar role again, as Dubai announced on Monday it will sponsor the Chinese national team as part of an effort to promote exchange and growth between the two nations.

"This will be the first time the Chinese national table tennis team has cooperated with a foreign partner," said Liu Fengyan, the vice-chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association. "Chinese table tennis will again play a crucial part in China's association with other countries, and will again become a friendship ambassador in other parts of the world.