Seesaghur and Wu exchange gifts. Photo: Xinmin Evening News

Hans Seesaghur, a scholar from Mauritius, had been looking for a Shanghai citizen named Wu Xinmin for 15 years. His dream finally came true. On November 2, Seesaghur and Wu Xinmin met face to face in Shanghai. 

In 2011, while pursuing his postgraduate studies at Wuhan University, Central China's Hubei Province, Seesaghur conducted research on the history of exchanges between China and Mauritius. During the process, Seesaghur, born in the 1980s, discovered that a Chinese table tennis delegation had visited Mauritius in 1972.

In a news archive of the People's Daily, Seesaghur read Wu's name. However, despite years of searching, he was unable to contact Wu. 

In 2021, Seesaghur read an exclusive interview by the Xinmin Evening News with Wu. After contacting the media outlet, Seesaghur was able to meet Wu. 

Then, Wu was 23 years old and the captain of the Shanghai table tennis team. In 1972, Wu and Team China traveled to five African countries - Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mauritius and Uganda - for a total of 68 friendly games. 

During their meeting, Wu shared with Seesaghur the materials of visiting itinerary, press clippings, and old photographs. Seesaghur is working on a book project, featuring the diplomatic history of Mauritius since its independence, with China-Mauritius relations serving as one of the key topics.


Global Times