President Xi Jinping recently replied to a letter from students from both countries who participated in the “Sailing the Blue Together: China-U.S. Youth Friendship Journey” event, affirming this journey of friendship and expressing hope that more Chinese and American youth will take up the baton of friendly relations between the two nations, learn from each other, progress together, and become “ambassadors of friendship” across the Pacific, making new contributions to the stable, healthy, and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that young people are the most energetic and the most full of dreams; they are the future and hope of China-U.S. relations, as well as the future and hope of the world. Since President Xi Jinping proposed the initiative in November 2023 to “invite 50,000 American youth to China for exchange and study over five years,” over 50,000 American youth have already visited China, achieving the target two and a half years ahead of schedule. This fully demonstrates that friendly exchanges and cooperation are the shared aspiration of the people of both China and the United States.
The story of China-U.S. friendship is written by the people, and the future of China-U.S. relations is created by the youth. With youth as the sail, embark on a journey of friendship; with people’s hearts as the bridge, cross the vast distances of mountains and seas. As Chinese and American youth move toward each other, deepening mutual understanding and comprehension, and as the people of both countries interact and exchange more, they will surely write a new chapter of people-to-people friendship and inject continuous momentum into the development of China-U.S. relations.