How China’s Ping-Pong Prowess Explains Its Economy
Whether in sports or in markets, the country’s advantages outweigh its flaws.
China's table tennis stars keep their eyes on the prize.
Photographer: Adek Berry/AFP/Getty Images
The U.S. has won the Olympics — topping the gold and overall medal count. For China, beaten into second place on both measures, there’s one source of consolation: a near-perfect performance in table tennis. China won gold medals for men’s table tennis. And women’s. And both teams. Apart from a Japanese upset in mixed doubles, it was a clean sweep.
This may not seem like a surprise; China has excelled at table tennis for decades, going back to the days of Mao Zedong. After a decade in China, though, much of it misspent in dingy clubs in the unlikely pursuit of table tennis glory, I think the country’s success in the sport reveals something important about its economic rise.