China stands ready to advance people-to-people exchanges with US after bilateral Bali talk

China is willing to work with the US to advance people-to-people exchanges and cement the public support for the sound and steady growth of bilateral relations, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday when asked about recent signs of warming in China-US peopleto-people exchanges.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s reply came after the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of China-US Ping-Pong Diplomacy held in New York on Tuesday, as well as Chinese Ambassador to the US Qin Gang’s visit to a university and an elementary school in Utah last week.

In response to whether more robust people-to-people exchanges between China and the US will come about following the meeting of Chinese and US leaders in Bali, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China-US people-to-people exchange is very important, and the two sides need to encourage the expansion of such exchange in all sectors.

“This is a common understanding reached between the two presidents at their meeting in Bali,” Mao pointed out.

“No matter what happens in the world and China-US relations, people will always remember the love and friendship they have with each other. The profound goodwill in those words is truly touching,” said Mao at a regular press brief on Thursday.

The spokesperson said that she had noticed that American players who had participated in Ping-Pong Diplomacy expressed hopes that peopleto-people exchange will continue to add momentum to the growth of China-US relations, and at the event in Utah’s Brigham Young University, one guest who was a member of the university’s artistic group that visited China in 1979 said that the continuing friendship with China and the Chinese people has become the most precious part of life.