Between the commercialized war, subject tensions and coronavirus finger-pointing, it's been a unsmooth fewer years for US-China relations.
But the Tokyo Olympics has allowed athletes from some countries to show what their governments haven't for years: friendship.
On Tuesday, Chinese gymnasts Guan Chenchen and Tang Xijing won golden and metallic respectively successful the women's equilibrium beam final, portion US gymnastics prima Simone Biles claimed bronze. Both Chinese gymnasts are first-time Olympic medallists.
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The triumph was peculiarly important for Guan arsenic the 16-year-old identifies Biles arsenic her hero, according to her biography connected the Games' website.
After the results were announced, a beaming Biles embraced Guan. Her US teammate and all-around Olympic champion Sunisa Lee, who had loudly cheered connected Guan during her routine, besides hugged Guan.
Afterward, Lee posted connected Instagram that she was "so proud" of Guan, and retweeted a video of Guan's dismount from the beam, captioned, "I emotion her (so much)."
The enthusiastic solemnisation and the warmth exchanged betwixt the teams — truthful seldom seen present arsenic US-China relations and nationalist sentiment sour — rapidly went viral online.
"We consciousness the same! This is what it means," tweeted the authoritative Chinese Olympic Committee, on with a bosom emoji and a photograph showing the solemnisation betwixt the 4 athletes.
Even the nationalist Chinese tabloid Global Times chipped in, saying successful an nonfiction Lee's "sincere and joyous absorption touched viewers astir the world."
And galore connected the Chinese societal media level Weibo praised Biles and Lee for their sportsmanship, arguing the benignant of camaraderie they shared with Guan and Tang embodies the existent tone of the Olympics.
"No substance wherever you are from, what contention you beryllium to, what beliefs you have, radical successful planetary nine should unite together, making quality beingness better," said 1 Weibo user, according to authorities media. "I spot that anticipation astatine the Olympic Games. These athletes springiness america a bully example."
*This communicative primitively appeared connected CNN and was reproduced with permission
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