Two strokes supporting each other: Chinese and American youths reaching out to one another

Relations between countries begin with the friendship between their peoples. President Xi Jinping once used the Chinese character "人"(people) as a metaphor: "The Chinese character ren, or people, is in a shape of two strokes supporting each other. The foundation of China-US friendship has its roots in the people, and its future rests with the youth." The left-falling stroke of the character ren marks the arrival of young Americans in China. They practice calligraphy, watch robots, sing in choirs, play baseball, and compete in ping-pong, experiencing a multi-dimensional and panoramic China firsthand. The right-falling stroke of the character ren marks Chinese youths opening their arms to welcome friends from afar with sincerity, through joint artistic performances, athletic competition, and collaboration in science and technology. In November 2023, President Xi Jinping said in San Francisco that China was ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years. As of May 2026, more than 50,000 young Americans had visited China, achieving the target two and a half years ahead of schedule. Through exchanges, the youths of China and the US have reached out to each other, deepened mutual understanding, forged lasting friendships, and written a new chapter in the friendly exchanges between the peoples of the two countries. The left-falling stroke and the right-falling stroke complement each other to form a Chinese character; likewise, the exchanges between Chinese and US youths have woven together a shared journey.