A former U.S. diplomat in Shanghai who began his career as a translator for a ping-pong tournament between U.S. and Chinese competitors spoke here yesterday on China’s path to modernization.

Douglas G. Spelman, who served as Consul General in Shanghai for three years, was the featured speaker for the Neuhauser Memorial Lecture held at Harvard’s Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies.

Spelman, who was an East Asian history Ph.D. candidate at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the time that he had his first foray into Chinese-American relations with “ping-pong diplomacy,” reflected on his work and life as a diplomat during a period of explosive economic growth in China.

Emphasizing the differences between urban and rural areas, Spelman detailed the visibility of the “trappings of luxury” in Shanghai, as well as the “huge change” they have represented.

“The mentality is to be a successful entrepreneur—to get rich is glorious, and those who do so achieve national progress,” he said.

Spelman, now retired, also discussed how the personal values of the Chinese have been affected by profound social and political change, the trajectory of China’s political and economic structure, and how the United States should respond to China’s modernization efforts.

“It’s rare to hear from a diplomat who has also been a scholar,” said Graham T. Webster, a student in East Asian studies at GSAS. “It’s also good to hear from diplomats who are no longer in government because they speak more freely, and I think he did that today.”

The lecture series, which celebrates the connection between academics and public service, features individuals with advanced degrees who dedicate themselves to government work.

It was established as a memorial to Charles Neuhauser, whose work in the CIA and Harvard’s Center for East Asian Research fostered Chinese-American diplomacy.

“Neuhauser was one of the few Americans who knew a lot about what was going on in China during those times—he knew better than scholars,” said Ronald Suleski, the program liaison officer for the Fairbank Center, who coordinated the event.

Like Neuhauser, Spelman spent many years in academia and government, first as a professor at Bucknell and later as a diplomat, working for 30 years in the State Department.

Spelman was also selected as the speaker because of his relationship with Neuhauser—the two worked together during Spelman’s time at Harvard, translating Chinese documents for American leaders in order to facilitate diplomatic relations.