Xi entrusts future of China-US ties to people

SAN FRANCISCO -- As his visit to San Francisco reached its crescendo on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping reminisced twice in a single day about his inaugural visit to the United States in 1985.

In the morning, following a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, US President Joe Biden showed a photo in his phone with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background to President Xi and inquired, "Do you know this young man?"

"Yes," Xi replied. "That was me 38 years ago."

Later in the evening, at a welcome dinner hosted by friendly organizations in the United States, Xi once again recollected the trip. "During my first visit to the United States, I stayed at the Dvorchaks in Iowa," he said. "I still remember their address -- 2911 Bonnie Drive."

This trip to the United States made a profound impression on Xi, as it afforded him genuine insight into the American people.

He found that although the two countries are different in history, culture and social system, and have embarked on different development paths, the two peoples are both kind, friendly, hardworking and down-to-earth. They both love their countries, families and lives, and both are friendly toward each other and are interested in each other.

Amid the recent downturn in China-US relations, the Chinese leader has been pondering: How to steer the giant ship of China-US relations clear of hidden rocks and shoals, navigate it through storms and waves without getting disoriented, losing speed or even having a collision?

In the process of seeking an answer, his experiences from 38 years ago once again provided him with enlightenment.

"It is the convergence of many streams of goodwill and friendship that has created a strong current surging across the vast Pacific Ocean; it is the reaching out to each other by our peoples that has time and again brought China-US relations from a low ebb back onto the right track," Xi said in the speech at the welcome dinner.

To lift the ailing China-US relations out of the doldrums, the Chinese president has pinned his hope on the American people. He held meetings with Henry Kissinger, Bill Gates, Senator Chuck Schumer and California Governor Gavin Newsom. Additionally, he has maintained communication with friendly Americans like the Flying Tigers through letters, and called for enhanced people-to-people exchanges between the two nations on different occasions.

"The foundation of China-US relations was laid by our peoples;" "The door of China-US relations was opened by our peoples;" "The stories of China-US relations are written by our peoples," Xi told the Chinese and American individuals present at the dinner, eliciting many rounds of prolonged and enthusiastic applause.

Xi's efforts to promote people-to-people exchanges have received warm responses from the American public.

"I am looking forward to meeting (President Xi)," Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who is also on the guest list for the dinner, told Xinhua. "We met once briefly, (and) I look forward to meeting (him) again."

Similar to Musk, many American attendees at the dinner have actually met with Xi or received his letters before.

Among them is Elyn MacInnis, an American cultural expert who participated in "Bond with Kuliang: 2023 China-US People-to-People Friendship Forum" in June, which received a congratulatory letter from Xi.

"Xi understood the importance of people-to-people friendship," she shared. "He knows that people-to-people friendship (between the two countries) is very strong. It influences the future."

Indeed, people-to-people exchanges shape the relationship between China and the United States, which in turn wields significant influence over global prosperity and development.

To further enhance people-to-people exchanges, Xi and Biden have agreed earlier Wednesday to roll out more measures to facilitate travels and exchanges, including increasing direct passenger flights, holding a high-level dialogue on tourism, and streamlining visa application procedures.

At the dinner, Xi extended a warm invitation to the American people, expressing his welcome for more US governors, Congressional members, and people from diverse backgrounds to visit China, and announcing that China is ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years.

"The future of China-U.S. relations will be created by our peoples," Xi said in the speech. "The more difficulties there are, the greater the need for us to forge a closer bond between our peoples and to open our hearts to each other, and more people need to speak up for the relationship."