Scott No: 1076-79
Serial number: N21-24
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: November 3, 1971
Denomination: 67 fen
Designer: Zhang Kerang
Size of stamps: 31*38.5mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 50(10*5)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

Issued on 3 November 1971, the set contains four stamps, printed in photogravure with phosphorescent bars, designed by Zhang Kerang and produced by Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size: 31mm × 38.5mm; perforation: 11.5; sheet composition: 50 stamps (10 × 5).

Main Theme of the Set

In 1971, China initiated a new phase of foreign exchanges through ping-pong diplomacy. From 2 to 14 November, the Afro-Asian Table Tennis Friendly Invitational Tournament was held in Beijing. It was jointly sponsored by the table tennis associations of six countries: China, the DPRK, Egypt, Japan, Nepal and Mauritius, with teams from 51 countries and regions in Asia and Africa taking part. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued this set during the tournament to commemorate this intercontinental sports event. It depicts the host’s warm welcome for guests and athletes from all nations exchanging skills and fostering friendship, using table tennis as a bond to promote solidarity and friendly exchanges between the peoples of Asia and Africa.

Stamp Designs and Historical Context

Emblem of the Afro-Asian Table Tennis Friendly Invitational Tournament

Against a green background, a white-and-gold tournament emblem stands out. The emblem consists of a table tennis bat and two linked letter “A”s. The two “A”s represent Asia and Africa respectively. The combination of bat and letters symbolises solidarity and friendship among the developing countries of Asia and Africa, serving as the iconic symbol of the event.

The Chinese People Warmly Welcome Our Afro-Asian Friends

The design shows crowds in the capital lining the streets with flowers and ribbons. People in ethnic costumes and athletes gather together amid a sea of flowers, creating a joyous atmosphere. It portrays the Chinese people, as the host, giving a hearty welcome to friends from Asian and African countries.

Learn from Each Other and Improve Together

The stamp depicts athletes of different skin colours competing and exchanging skills at the table. Figures move on both sides of the table with focused expressions, embodying the spirit of learning from one another, encouraging each other and raising standards together in the competition.

Friendship Between the Afro-Asian Peoples

Set on a green base, the design shows athletes from Asia and Africa standing side by side amid blooming flowers, gazing toward the distance. The silhouette of Tiananmen appears in the upper left corner, signifying the lasting friendship forged between Afro-Asian peoples at the tournament.

Artistic Features of the Design

The set follows the poster style typical of international sports-themed stamps, with bright colours and full compositions. The four stamps unfold sequentially: emblem, welcome scene, competition, and friendship, moving from the event symbol to on-court scenes and then to human sentiment. The words “Afro-Asian Table Tennis Friendly Invitational Tournament” are printed on the top of the first three stamps and the upper right corner of the fourth, ensuring visual consistency. Thematically and stylistically, it forms a coherent predecessor to N91–N94 *Afro-Asian-Latin American Table Tennis Friendly Invitational Tournament*, issued in 1973.