Educational exchanges to play a key role in strengthening China-US ties

Educational exchanges, especially among young people, will play a pivotal role in building bridges between China and the United States, said officials and experts on Monday.

Their remarks were made at a sub-forum of the 7th China-US Sister Cities Conference, which opened on the same day in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

"In a world that feels increasingly divided, a conference like this reminds us that knowledge knows no borders," said Natalie Mihalek, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

When students and teachers from different countries share classrooms, ideas, and experiences, they are learning empathy, communication, and understanding, said Mihalek.

For decades, education exchanges between China and the US have helped students from both countries gain new skills and perspectives on their history and culture, and enrich each other's local communities.

A case in point is Brigham Young University, which has been in collaboration with China for over 40 years.

In 1979, a group of student performers from BYU visited China, becoming one of the first Western performing arts groups in the country in years and laying a solid foundation for regular exchanges.

Since then, thousands of BYU students and faculty have studied, lived, and performed in China, according to Jeff Ringer, the university's associate international vice-president.

In 1989, BYU initiated the China Teachers Program, providing teachers to partner universities in China, according to Ringer, and "over 2,000 BYU teachers have taught hundreds of thousands of students, forming lifelong friendships and deepening cultural understanding".

The Wenzhou-Kean University is another shining example of the mutual cooperation between China and the US. A friendship project between Zhejiang province and the state of New Jersey, the university, based in the province's Wenzhou city, offers an immersive Chinese cultural experience for international, especially American students, its official website shows. 

However, challenges still lie ahead and need to be tackled, said Susan Thornton, vice-chair of the US Heartland China Association.

"Today, far fewer American students study in China," she said, pointing out that communities across the US Midwest have comparatively fewer opportunities to see China up close.

"If we are to sustain the foundation of trust and cooperation between our people, that has to change," she said.

In addition, Chinese students also face obstacles such as visa processing when they travel to study in the US.

China and the US should keep education at the center of their partnership, said Mihalek.

"The more we learn together, the more we grow together, and the more peaceful and prosperous the shared world will be," she said.