About 14,000 young Americans visit China during inaugural year of exchange initiative: Chinese envoy

WASHINGTON - Over the past year, about 14,000 American youths have visited China for exchange and study since the announcement of China's pledge to invite 50,000 young Americans to visit in the next five years, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng said here on Friday.

"In November last year, President Xi Jinping announced in San Francisco that China is ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years. To implement the initiative, China has set up a YES program -- the Young Envoys Scholarship. Over the past year, President Xi invited American youths to visit China on multiple occasions, which was warmly received here in the States," Xie said at an event promoting China-US youth exchanges held at the Chinese embassy in the United States.

The initiative "has provided an effective platform that brings our youths closer, opened up an important window for better understanding China, and ushered in a new chapter of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples," he added.

While such people-to-people exchanges have come under some headwinds in the past few years, good news keeps coming with joint efforts, the ambassador said.

Xie said what has been achieved in the past year is far from enough, and much remains to be done "to continue removing disruptions, stay undaunted by the chilling effect, oppose any backpedaling, and move forward hand in hand, to build more bridges for people-to-people exchanges and inject constant impetus into China-US relations."

The ambassador encouraged youths from both countries to take up the baton of history and shoulder the responsibility of fostering a stable, sound and sustainable China-US relationship.

Friday's event was attended by over 300 guests, including representatives of teachers and students who visited China during the year, as well as Chinese and American friends from all walks of life.

Two panel discussions were held at the event, during which the panelists expressed their best wishes for China-US youth exchanges, and their expectations for continued education exchange and cooperation that will benefit the two countries and the world.