China-U.S. People-to-People Exchanges: From Encounter to Mutual Understanding” — Commentary Series (IV)
Injecting Stronger Youth Momentum into China-U.S. Friendship
During a welcoming ceremony at the White House, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced plans to invite 100,000 young Americans to China for exchanges and study over the next five years. Previously, the initiative proposed by President Xi in November 2023 to invite 50,000 American young people to China over five years had achieved its target this May, two and a half years ahead of schedule. During this period, more than 50,000 American young people visited China, representing all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. The early achievement of this target once again demonstrates the genuine desire of people in both China and the United States, particularly the younger generation, to strengthen exchanges and interactions. Young people carry the future of people-to-people friendship between the two countries.
The implementation of the “50,000 in Five Years” initiative has relied on multiple platforms and programs and benefited from the joint efforts of both China and the United States. Among them, the Young Envoys Scholarship (YES) Program has played a key role. Over the past two years, more than 34,000 young Americans have visited China for exchanges and study through the YES Program. Beyond the YES Program, numerous non-governmental organizations in both countries have also participated in implementing the initiative. One distinctive example is the “Sailing the Blue: China-U.S. Youth Friendship Voyage,” in which university students from China and the United States embarked on a joint voyage from Hong Kong to Ningbo and Shanghai. During the two-week journey, they participated in marine scientific research activities, visited historical and cultural sites and high-tech enterprises, and engaged in exchanges with local university students.
In the past, many young Americans formed their perceptions of China primarily through media reports, fragments of classroom instruction, or information encountered on social media platforms. Visiting China and engaging in exchanges on the ground can help break down information barriers and allow them to see a real, multidimensional, and comprehensive China. In recent years, interactions between Chinese and American youth have been diverse and dynamic, reflecting the vitality and creativity characteristic of this generation. These exchanges have covered a wide range of fields, including language and culture, business management, art and design, world heritage preservation, and cross-border e-commerce. Participating institutions have combined their academic strengths, local resources, and global issues to develop an ecosystem of exchange programs featuring distinctive characteristics at different universities and locations.
American young people visiting China have explored not only modern metropolitan areas but also rural regions. For example, participants in the “Splendid Jiangsu: American Youth Exchange Camp” visited local communities to observe China’s modernization at the grassroots level. During their stay in China, American students attended classes and conducted experiments alongside Chinese students, visited Chinese enterprises together, experienced the dynamism of China’s innovation-driven development, and jointly discussed the implications of the artificial intelligence wave for global education and ethics. As one American student put it, such exchanges “allowed us to see that we share common passions” and “created an atmosphere of trust.”
Moreover, these exchanges have not ended with the conclusion of the programs. Many Chinese and American young people have become pen pals, while some American participants have begun learning Chinese after returning home and encouraged their friends to join activities involving visits to China. On social media platforms, young Americans have voluntarily shared their experiences in China, with topics such as “Cool China” and “Chinamaxxing” attracting widespread attention. From visits and study programs to deeper forms of engagement, from government-supported initiatives to broader social participation, and from cultural barriers to cultural appreciation, the positive effects of increased exchanges and interactions between Chinese and American youth have become increasingly evident. As more young people cross the Pacific Ocean to meet, understand, and develop friendships with one another, the stories of China-U.S. friendship will continue to be passed down and carried forward.
Building on the early achievement of the “50,000 in Five Years” initiative, the new “100,000 in Five Years” initiative will undoubtedly inject stronger youth momentum into China-U.S. friendship. Several recent public opinion polls in the United States have shown a steady improvement in American attitudes toward China, with growing support for engagement and cooperation with China. Among them, younger Americans have shown a more positive attitude toward China. Young people are full of vitality and dreams. They represent the future and hope of China-U.S. relations, as well as the world's future and hope. Looking ahead, it is hoped that more young people from China and the United States will take up the baton of friendship between the two countries, learn from one another, make 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.
By Zhao Minghao
Professor and Deputy Director, Center for American Studies, Fudan UniversitySpecially Invited Expert, Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding (iGCU), Peking University
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