On April 4, 2025, Ambassador Liu Yantao was invited to attend the award ceremony marking the 62nd anniversary of the Cyprus Table Tennis Association (CyTTA) and the 53rd anniversary of friendly relations between the CyTTA and the Chinese Embassy in Cyprus. The event was also attended by Mayor of Strovolos Stavros Stavridis, President of the Cyprus Olympic Committee George Chrysostomou, and CyTTA President Andreas Georgiou, among others.

Ambassador Liu paid high tribute to President Georgiou and CyTTA for their unique contributions to China-Cyprus sports exchanges and friendly cooperation. Liu noted that China and Cyprus established diplomatic relations in 1971, and their table tennis exchanges began as early as 1972. The small table tennis ball has since become a bond of friendship between the two countries. He wished that the China-Cyprus friendship would always shine as brightly and warmly as the Mediterranean sunshine.

President Georgiou reviewed the history of the CyTTA and fondly recalled his personal experiences, as well as those of the association, in building connections with China through table tennis over the past 53 years. He expressed his willingness to continue contributing to the friendship between the two nations, particularly in sports exchanges.