Kong Wenge, known by the nickname China, is a Chinese exchange student and a second-year at Tsujido High School, where he serves as the captain and ace of the ping pong club. He hails from a rural village in China and was brought to Japan by the Tsujido coach specifically to strengthen the team through his elite-level guidance and skill. His background is defined by a life of rigorous training from a young age, a path that yielded significant results, including winning first place at the 6th Jiangsu Province White Star Cup youth tournament. His success earned him sponsorships that helped support his family. However, his career in China hit a major obstacle when he was demoted from the first-string national team due to a critical mistake.

Initially, China is presented as a highly skilled yet arrogant and callous figure who looks down on the Japanese ping pong scene. He views his time in Japan as a frustrating exile, a necessary detour to regain his pride and earn his way back to the Chinese national team. His primary goal is to defeat the strongest players in Japan to prove himself and hasten his return home. This motivation is rooted in the intense pressure and high stakes of his career, fueling a fierce desire to win. He often displays a hot-boiled temper and a dismissive attitude toward players he considers beneath him, as seen in his first encounter with Peco, whom he defeats effortlessly.

China serves as a major catalyst for the events of the story. His arrival and overwhelming skill provide the initial shock that forces the other characters, particularly the protagonist Peco, to confront the gap between amateur enthusiasm and professional-level talent. Despite his antagonistic introduction, his role evolves significantly. He is not a villain but a complex rival who, after experiencing his own crushing defeat, undergoes a profound humbling and becomes one of the most sympathetic characters in the series. His key relationships are primarily competitive. He initially dismisses Peco after a one-sided match, but later develops a grudging respect for Smile when he recognizes him as a worthy adversary with hidden depths. Kong demonstrates his deep understanding of the sport by correctly identifying that Smile was intentionally losing a match to Peco, just by listening to the sound of their play.

China’s character development is one of the tightest and most compelling arcs in the series. He begins as a prideful outsider who ridicules his environment and compares Japan to hell. A pivotal loss against the top player, Ryuichi Kazama (Dragon), humbles him immensely. This defeat strips away his arrogance and forces him to reevaluate his situation. Over time, he warms to the students and coaches around him, and the country he despised becomes a second home. He transforms from a lonely, frustrated competitor into a grounded and likable young man who has found a new perspective and appreciation for the sport and his place in it.

As a player, China is exceptionally gifted and technically precise. He uses a right-handed penhold grip, and his paddle is equipped with pips-in rubber on both sides, which is noted for being very tacky to generate maximum spin. His playing style is characterized as counter-driving, and he is praised for his wild and impressive variations in speed, a trait that disrupts his opponents' rhythm. His profound knowledge of the game is a notable ability, allowing him to analyze players' mental states and strategies with high accuracy based on subtle cues.