China, U.S. youth seek connection, cooperation via exchange program

BEIJING, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- For 16-year-old Otoota Uipi, who has studied Chinese for more than a decade and counts Chinese pop star Jay Chou among her favorite artists, visiting China for the first time fulfilled a long-held dream. Already familiar with the Chinese language and pop culture, the U.S. teenager was still struck by technological innovations: hotel service robots, advanced university labs, and digital tools woven into ordinary life. Gathering roughly 200 students from China and the United States, the Beijing trip earlier this week came amid a major expansion of bilateral people-to-people ties. In November 2023, China announced a five-year initiative to invite 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programs. The target was met two and a half years ahead of schedule earlier this year. It recently launched a new plan to invite 100,000 young Americans to visit China for exchange and study over the next five years. The three-day event, co-hosted by the China Education Association for International Exchange and Peking University and designed to help young people move beyond stereotypes and connect directly across cultures, featured campus tours, cultural activities and roundtable talks. Uipi explored university campuses with her Chinese peers, swapping stories about local food and everyday tech use. She called these conversations "an interesting experience." Maria Sablan, a college student from Saipan in the U.S. Northern Mariana Islands, gained a new perspective on China. Accustomed to life in a quieter island community, she had worried China's bustling cities would overwhelm her. Those fears faded once she arrived. "This exchange really helps us understand one another," Sablan said. She hopes to visit Chinese museums to learn history beyond textbooks. Shared passions quickly bridged cultural gaps for some participants. Mo Jiaxin, a student at Renmin University of China, recalled how a casual mention of the Los Angeles Lakers sparked an energetic conversation with visiting Californian students. "When we open our hearts and engage with sincerity, understanding and resonance come naturally," Mo said. Kimball Schuenman, a middle school student from Utah, a western U.S. state, identified deeper common ground. Young people on both sides of the Pacific pursue quality education and fulfilling careers, while confronting shared global challenges: climate change and rapid AI-driven transformation. He views differing perspectives not as barriers, but as assets for solving those problems. "We come from different countries with different trains of thought. If we come together, we'll be able to think of different solutions," Schuenman said. The program also hosted structured, in-depth dialogue. At Tsinghua University, participants held three roundtable sessions on "Technology for Good: Innovation and Responsibility," debating how innovation can better serve human needs. Cao Ruoqi, a Tsinghua student, moderated a discussion on AI's evolving role in education and responsible AI use in classrooms. "Such discussions enable young people from diverse cultural backgrounds and life experiences to inspire one another and gain insights hard to acquire from reading alone," Cao said. She noted one panel cannot resolve complex global problems overnight, yet exchanges like this can "sow a seed in the lives of young people from both countries" that might "grow into a forest of lasting friendship and future cooperation." The Beijing gathering marks the latest step to revitalize China-U.S. youth exchanges. Wei Wei, a U.S. delegation team leader and Chinese teacher based in the United States, said American student demand for China travel continues to rise. "I feel a sense of responsibility to promote greater youth exchanges between the two countries, and help more students become cultural ambassadors," Wei said.