China Daily Global Edition (USA)
President’s words inspire visiting US students
Connor Mackriell, a high school student from Tacoma in the US state of Washington, started his first visit to China this week, together with about 190 students and teachers from a total of 14 high schools in seven US states.
The trip, which will take them to Hebei, Fujian and Zhejiang provinces as well as Shanghai in the course of about two weeks, is part of an initiative to invite 50,000 young people from the United States to visit China over the next five years, which was announced by President Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November.
In a message read to the “Shared Journey of Friendship” US Youth Exchange Delegation at a welcoming ceremony on Monday, Xi extended his welcome to them and reiterated the important role of people-to-people exchanges in China-US relations.
“As I always say, the hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in grassroots connections, its future depends on you and its vitality comes from subnational exchanges,” Xi said in the message.
“I hope that through this visit, you will perceive, experience, and have a better understanding of China, communicate and interact with the young people of China to become good partners and good friends, help build more bridges of mutual understanding between the two peoples, and contribute to enhancing the friendship between the two peoples,” he said.
Mackriell, the 15-year-old Tacoma student, said, “After hearing the message from the Chinese president, it makes me hopeful for the future that we as youth have power in our hands to bring two great nations together in hopes of a better world.”
He said he expects the trip to be life-changing. “And I hope that it will be able to open my eyes more to the similarities and differences in cultures, and what can be done to bring us together,” he said.
Todd Bowen, director of world languages at Niles Township High School District 219 in the US state of Illinois, said that for the 47 students from his district, the trip to China is a dream that has finally been realized, as the students were unable to visit in 2020 as planned.