Developing bond between people to boost China-us ties

On social media platform X, pictures capturing recent excursions of students from US state of Washington to iconic Chinese landmarks like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, as well as their engagement in Tai Chi practice, have sparked vibrant online conversations. The latest visit was part of an exchange and study program that would invite 50,000 American youths to China over the next five years, an initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his US visit last November. Nearly concurrent with the students’ tour, representatives from the US business, strategic and academic communities also visited China late March. Their visit reached its apex on Wednesday when Xi met with them. To revive China-us relations from their current challenges, the Chinese president has placed his faith in the American people. Apart from meetings with prominent figures such as Henry Kissinger, Bill Gates, Senator Chuck Schumer, and California Governor Gavin Newsom, he has maintained correspondence with ordinary Americans like the Flying Tigers and US students through letters and has consistently advocated for increased people-to-people exchanges between the two nations on various occasions. His dedication to fostering exchanges between the Chinese and Americans offers insight into the fundamental bedrock of China-us relations: the enduring friendship between the people of both nations. That was also one of the key messages Xi conveyed during his meeting with representatives of US businesses, strategic and academic communities on Wednesday. Noting that the history of China-us relations is one of friendly exchanges between the two peoples, Xi expressed the hope that people from all sectors of Chinese and American societies will have more mutual visits and exchanges, expand common ground and mutual trust, overcome various distractions, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. Despite the ebbs and flows in the trajectory of China-us relations, the enduring exchanges between their people have offered distinct contributions to the advancement of bilateral ties. These interactions, spanning cultural, educational, and economic domains, have nurtured mutual understanding and cooperation between the two sides. Educational exchanges, in particular, give students invaluable insights into each other’s cultures, encouraging empathy and eradicating misconceptions. Similarly, cultural exchanges serve as a forum for showcasing both cultures’ richness and diversity, encouraging appreciation and respect for each other’s diverse social system. Furthermore, economic interactions between businesses and individuals contribute to the growth of trade and investment, benefiting both nations’ economies. The importance of maintaining and strengthening these exchanges cannot be overstated. In fact, it is the reaching out to each other by the two peoples that has time and again brought China-us relations from a low ebb back onto the right track.