Organization fosters ties between Chinese, US youth

On July 25, the US-China Youth and Student Exchange Association sent a letter to Xi to congratulate China for hosting the 31st International University Sports Federation Summer World University Games in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, as well as the Hangzhou Asian Games in Zhejiang province, while also reaffirming its commitment to continuously enhancing China-US youth cooperation and humanistic exchanges.

Discussing the reason for writing the letter, Chong referred to Xi's remarks during his June 16 meeting with Bill Gates, the former CEO of Microsoft, in which the president stressed that the foundation of China-US relations lies within the people.

Ron Chow, co-chairperson of the US-China Youth and Student Exchange Association, said, "We must encourage increased interaction and communication among our youth, fostering a deeper understanding of diverse cultures and values.

"This is particularly crucial in light of the misleading narratives perpetuated by specific Western media and politicians, which have resulted in unwarranted mistrust and suspicion."

Xi responded to the association's letter in August, emphasizing again the importance of people-to-people interactions in Sino-US relations, stating that the foundation lies within the grassroots, with hopes vested in the people, and the future entrusted to the youth.

"I hope more young people from China and the US will get to know each other better, work hand-in-hand, and become a new generation of ambassadors of friendship to inject fresh impetus into the growth of China-US relations," Xi wrote in the letter.

Chong said: "It provided us with great encouragement as the association's efforts to promote youth and student exchanges between China and the US have been recognized by President Xi. In the future, we hope to receive more support from the Chinese government in promoting exchanges in technology, academic areas, culture, sports and more for youth and students in both countries."

The association is now planning to establish an office in China to better promote bilateral exchanges. Chong is also exploring the creation of an exchange program between schools in Shanghai and the US.