Stir small drops into a mighty river and inject steady momentum into China-US relations. Remarks by HE Ambassador Xie Feng at the event on promoting youth exchanges between China and the United States_Embassy of the People's Republic of China to the United States of America

Ms. Elisa Autry,

Ms. Holly Zardus,

Superintendent Antoinette Mitchell,

President Jeffrey Greene,

President Adam Foster,

President Ni Pin,

Friends old and new,

Good evening! To begin, let me extend a warm welcome to all of you who come from across the United States to our embassy.

At this event, you shared your personal stories and pooled your knowledge for a better future of China-US youth exchanges. It is essential today. Although we meet in winter, I can feel the freshness of spring with so many young friends joining us, the vigor of summer as I see many old friends who have long supported China-US friendship, and also the abundance of autumn as we review what has been achieved in the youth exchanges.

In November last year, President Xi Jinping announced in San Francisco that China was ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programs over the next five years. To implement this initiative, China has set up a YES program, the Young Envoys Scholarship. Over the past year, President Xi has invited American youth to visit China several times, which has been warmly received here in the United States.

From Washington State to Texas, from New York to California, from Cascade Elementary School to Muscatine High School and Lincoln High School, to Harvard University and Princeton University, students from across the United States actively participated. So far, about 14,000 young Americans have gone to China for exchange or study under the initiative. For many of them, it was their first time getting on a plane, going abroad and visiting China. The initiative provided an effective platform that brings our young people together, opened an important window for a better understanding of China, and ushered in a new chapter of friendship between the Chinese and American people.

Returning from China, many American teachers and students wrote to President Xi to share their stories during the trip. These are stories of our young people shaking hands. They played friendly basketball games, sang folk songs together and planted goodwill trees. They also learned about each other's hobbies, challenges and dreams and discussed a wide range of topics, including education, public health and scientific innovation. For them, this could be the start of a friendship that will last a lifetime.

One American student recalled that the first day was like oil and water, with the American students sitting on one side of the room and the Chinese on the other side. But at the end of the camp, you could see Americans sitting with Chinese children laughing, making jokes and having a good time. Another American student said his number of friends on Wechat had increased from five to more than 70, and they had promised to stay in touch and meet again.

They are also stories of our friendship which continues from generation to generation. American youth had an immersive experience of Chinese culture, tasted Chinese cuisines, learned to write their Chinese names with an ink brush, cycled along the central axis of Beijing, and researched on China's targeted poverty reduction policy in rural areas. Along the way, they have taken the pulse of ancient and modern Chinese civilization in multiple dimensions and sowed seeds of goodwill.

Among the teachers visiting China was Professor Thomas Buoye (of the University of Tulsa), who studied in China 40 years ago. This time he took his son to Beijing and introduced him to the sons and daughters of his old friends. During the trip, young Thomas developed a keen interest in green development and decided to continue his studies in the field.

It is inspiring to see that the tree of goodwill between our two peoples continues to flourish, and it is even more exciting to see our young people uniting for a better future.

Dear friends,

As a Chinese saying goes: “Don’t just read thousands of books; also travel thousands of kilometers. More than 170 years ago, Yung Wing crossed the vast Pacific to become the first Chinese student studying in the United States, opening the door for mutual learning among our young people. More than 80 years ago, America's Flying Tigers took to the battlefield in China as part of the World Anti-Fascist War, to fight for peace alongside the Chinese people. American journalist Edgar Snow traveled to Yanan to share China's true story with the world.

Since our two countries reopened in the 1970s, approximately 2.4 million Chinese students have come to study in the United States. They not only played a role in China's modernization effort, but also brought enormous economic benefits and a wealth of scientific talents to the United States, and made unique contributions to human progress.

Even though these people-to-people exchanges have experienced difficulties in recent years, good news continues to arrive thanks to our common efforts. The number of direct flights between our two countries has increased to 100 per week. The Philadelphia Orchestra performed 9 concerts during its 10-day tour through China. The US State Department has lowered China's travel advisory to Level 2. Giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao will meet the public at the National Zoo next month. Applying for a China visa is easier and takes less time. In particular, American students who are part of the YES program can obtain a five-year multiple-entry F visa for free. Encouraged by the 50,000 in Five Years initiative and the 144-hour visa-free transit policy, many young Americans have embarked on a journey to China.

But frankly, these measures are still far from sufficient. We must continue to eliminate disruptions, not be intimidated by their deterrent effect, oppose any backward steps, and move forward hand in hand, so as to build more bridges for people-to-people exchanges and build steady momentum. to Sino-American relations.

Dear friends,

We live in a turbulent and fluid world where challenges abound. But at the same time, it is also full of new opportunities for development and progress. Sino-US relations once again find themselves at a crossroads. So where should he head?

President Xi Jinping has made China's position clear: our goal of stable, healthy and lasting China-US relations remains unchanged. Our commitment to managing our relations in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation remains unchanged. Our position of resolutely safeguarding our sovereignty, security and development interests remains unchanged. And our desire to perpetuate the traditional friendship between the Chinese and American people remains unchanged.

This fully demonstrated the stability and consistency of China's policy towards the United States and also brought certainty and positive energy to this unstable world. We hope that the US side will move forward with us in the same direction, strengthen dialogue and communication, properly handle differences, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and find the right path for our two countries to get along well in the new era.

Dear young friends,

The future of the world is in your hands, and the hope of China-US relations lies in you. I encourage you to take up the baton of history and shoulder your responsibility in promoting stable, healthy and lasting China-US relations.

I hope you will be pioneers in developing a good perception of each other. Travel the expanse of China on your own feet. Discover the country with your own eyes. Feel it with your heart. Think independently, think outside the box and form an objective and rational view of China.

I hope that you will be active in advancing dialogue and cooperation. We invite more young Americans to participate in the 50,000 in Five Years initiative and become partners and friends with your Chinese peers. We also encourage universities in both countries to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in various forms, so that, drop by drop, our efforts merge into a mighty river.

I also hope that you will be pioneers in creating a better world. We are counting on you, alongside your Chinese peers, to jointly tackle global challenges such as climate change and AI, and contribute your wisdom to building a world of peace, development and cooperation.

In this spirit, let us together say YES to exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States, say YES to the friendship of our people, and say YES to a better future for young people in China and the United States!

Thank you so much.