China's senior sports official meets US drug control head

BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Gao Zhidan, director of China's General Administration of Sport (GAAS), has exchanged ideas on sports communication and anti-doping work with Rahul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

The meeting took place last Thursday in Beijing, according to GAAS.

During the meeting, Gao recalled the Ping-Pong Diplomacy which helped lay the groundwork for establishing official diplomatic relations between China and the United States.

Gao pointed out that as the China-U.S. relations are faced with challenges, the two countries need more communications and rise above the differences in the spirit of Ping-Pong Diplomacy.

He stressed that China firmly opposes politicizing sports issues and anti-doping issues and supports the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in implementing independent, professional, and efficient governance globally.

China strongly condemns illegal and groundless remarks targeting Chinese athletes, Gao added.

He expressed the hope that China and U.S. together safeguard the current effective global anti-doping system and work for a favorable environment for athletes from the two countries as well as the world to participate in the Paris Olympic Games.

Gupta is also an executive member of WADA.