BEIJING, MARCH 25, SPA -- A US DELEGATION IS SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE IN CHINA ON SUNDAY TO MARK THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE START OF THE 'PING PONG DIPLOMACY' THAT HELPED TO BUILD TRUST BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND MAO ZEDONG'S ISOLATIONIST PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, STATE MEDIA SAID SATURDAY. THE 25-MEMBER US DELEGATION WILL SPEND 10 DAYS IN CHINESE CITIES INCLUDING BEIJING AND SHANGHAI, THE OFFICIAL XINHUA NEWS AGENCY SAID. SHERI SODERBERG PITTMAN, PRESIDENT OF USA TABLE TENNIS, WILL LEAD THE DELEGATION, THE AGENCY SAID. SEVEN MEMBERS OF THE 1971 US DELEGATION WILL BE IN THE NEW GROUP OF TABLE TENNIS OFFICIALS, COACHES AND PLAYERS. THE TWO SIDES PLAN TO HOLD A SERIES OF EVENTS TO MARK THE ANNIVERSARY AND 'FURTHER THE FRIENDSHIPS BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES.' THE 1971 VISIT BY A US TABLE TENNIS TEAM 'BROKE THE ICE (AFTER) TWO DECADES OF ESTRANGED SINO-US RELATIONS AND EVENTUALLY LED TO THE NORMALIZATION OF BILATERAL TIES,' THE AGENCY SAID. CHINA INVITED THE US TEAM, WHO WERE IN JAPAN FOR THE 31ST WORLD TABLE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP, ON APRIL 6, 1971. FIFTEEN US CITIZENS TRAVELLED TO CHINA AND A CHINESE TABLE TENNIS TEAM TRAVELLED TO THE UNITED STATES THE FOLLOWING YEAR. THE 'PING-PONG DIPLOMACY' HELPED TO PAVE THE WAY FOR A HISTORIC VISIT TO CHINA BY US PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON IN FEBRUARY 1972. --SP 15 15 LOCAL TIME 12 15 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/348330