BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- China welcomes more Americans to visit China for more exchanges, see with their own eyes a true, multi-dimensional and panoramic picture of China and contribute to China-U.S. friendship, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

American youth visit a park in Kuliang, Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 29, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

Mao made the remarks at a regular news briefing after "Bond with Kuliang: 2026 China-U.S. Youth Baseball Exhibition Games and Sports Festival" was successfully held in China from June 28 to July 2.

"We are glad to see that the century-old story of Kuliang is gaining vitality with new stories of friendly exchanges," Mao said.

Recent successful events, such as the China-U.S. Youth Sports Festival, the Flying Tigers Youth Leadership Dialogue and the "PandaMaxxing" China-U.S. youth exchange program, are all examples of shared bonds, mutual appreciation and friendship between the two peoples despite differences, she said.

They fully prove that the hope of the China-U.S. relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in grassroots connections, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from subnational exchanges, she said.

Since the launch of the initiative of inviting 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programs in a five-year span in November 2023, over 50,000 young Americans have visited China, achieving the target two-and-a-half years ahead of schedule. The number of American visitors entering China also grew rapidly in the first half of this year.