Envoy: More 'storytellers' needed on ties

China's top envoy to the United States said he hopes younger generations of Chinese and Americans enhance exchanges and help improve relations between the two countries.

Speaking at the "Written in the Sky: My China Story" event Saturday in New York, Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng said that the future of China-US relations lies in young people.

"We encourage the younger generation to visit and interact with each other more often, so as to bring hearts closer and pull together," Xie said. "We hope there will be more letter writers and storytellers in our two countries. We will write new stories of friendships and cooperation together."

The event, co-hosted by China Media Group (CMG) and the Bank of China, celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and commemorates the 45th anniversary of China-US diplomatic relations.

Participants shared their experiences of engagement with China through letters and stories, reflecting on past experiences and offering insights and visions for future generations.

"Hopefully, when we look back at our life, we will not regret having done nothing to prevent our two countries from sliding back into estrangement and confrontation, nor will we be ashamed of yielding to 'political correctness' and allowing the world to veer into another 'Cold War,'" Xie said. "And hopefully, when our future generation opens this chapter of history 50 years from now, they will feel fortunate that at such a historical juncture, China and the US have once again made the right choice."

Xie said that more than 10,000 American youths have visited China since President Xi Jinping proposed that 50,000 American young people go to China for exchanges and study programs over five years. Xi made the invitation during his summit with US President Joe Biden last November.

The ambassador welcomed more young Americans to become envoys of "goodwill of the new generation", as well as more US tourists to travel to China with the 144-hour-visa-free-transit policy.

Kenneth Cryan and Luke Rankin, students at Tri-Cities Prep Catholic High School in Pasco, Washington, spoke of their recent trip to China.

Cryan told China Daily that he participated in the cultural and sports exchange event with Chinese students at Beijing No. 8 High School. He said playing basketball was a lot of fun and helped him make friends that he would stay in touch with. He also received a basketball with the Chinese students' signatures.

Rankin told the audience that his favorite food is hot pot, even though it is very spicy.

Throughout the past 45 years, Xie said that the people-to-people connections never stop. China and the US were once linked by ping-pong, and now the ball is larger with basketball. He said younger generations will continue to connect the two countries through culture and sports.

"Any conflict or confrontation that begins will be our failure and a disaster for the world. Any return to distractions for antagonism would be a loss for both and a tragedy of history. What our two peoples want, and the world hopes for is a healthy stable and sustainable China-US relationship," he said.

At the event, Xie said he has received many letters from Americans since last year — children in California shared their excitement over the return of giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo; a farmer by the Mississippi River expressed his hope to sell more corn to China; and many fans of Chinese culture, sinologists and students of the Chinese language voiced their support for a stable China-US relationship.

The foundation for China-US goodwill and the impetus for our interactions remain as strong as ever, and there is "every reason" to stay optimistic and hopeful, he said.

Lamont Repollet, the president of Kean University in New Jersey, said that thousands of students have benefited from education exchanges. Kean is the only US public university that has a full campus with thousands of students in China.

Denis Simon, the former executive vice-chancellor of Duke Kunshan University in China, expressed how impressively China has changed since his first visit to the country in 1981.

He said that close exchanges between the Chinese and American peoples, especially the young, benefit both countries and the world. Simon said he hopes that the people of the two countries will further enhance communication and mutual trust, and work to address global challenges such as climate change and public health.

David Firestein, the inaugural president and CEO of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for US-China Relations in Texas, said that China and the US are closely linked economically and need to cooperate in various fields, which can lead to mutual success.