On 25 March 2017, Rashid Alimov, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, visited the All-China Table Tennis Training Center in Nantong, Jiangsu Province.
He met with Mr. Wang Shoubing, the head of the training centre, and Head Coach Mr. Tang Cheng. The parties exchanged opinions on sport cooperation issues and planned for the possibility of establishing a training centre for talented tennis players from the SCO member states.
Mr. Alimov accepted with gratitude an invitation to play with a member of the junior-league table tennis team, and friendship triumphed.
"The spirit of sport adds to the Shanghai Spirit with its creativity," the SCO Secretary-General told journalists during an interview. "The organisation devotes substantial attention to strengthening and promoting cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the SCO member states. In December 2016, Kunming in Yunnan Province hosted its first marathon in history; this is an example of such cooperation. We will continue to involve as many people as possible in cultural and sports events that make their contribution to strengthening good-neighbourliness, friendship and cooperation between our peoples."
The All-China Table Tennis Training Center in the picturesque Tongzhou District of Nantong is under China's State General Administration of Sports and is listed among leading professional training centres worldwide.
Athletes from various countries, as well as members of the Chinese national table tennis team train at that multifunctional sports facility. Hard work and expert guidance from great coaches like Gu Zhengjiang and Liu Xun bring success in global competitions, including the Olympic Games. Famed athletes, graduates of this wonderful centre, include world and Olympic champions Li Xiaoxia, Ding Ning, Zhang Ining and Chen Qi.
The facility also includes a secondary specialised sport school that trains new generations of table tennis champions.
Training centre management is open to international cooperation, and athletes from 22 countries have trained here in the past few years.