On January 11, 2025, the Chinese Embassy in the United States held the 2025 Spring Festival Gala for Chinese and American youths. Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng attended the event and delivered remarks.

Ambassador Xie pointed out that our youths have actively reached out to each other, and striven to be pioneers in developing a right perception toward one another. One of the highlights of China-U.S. relations last year was that President Xi Jinping’s initiative to invite 50,000 young Americans for study or exchange programs yielded fruitful outcomes. Nearly 15,000 American youth from all 50 states and D.C. visited China under the initiative, overfulfilling the annual target. Seeing is believing. They observed China with their own eyes, and travelled the expanse of the country with their own feet. With their firsthand experience, they have broken out of the echo chamber and shaken off misperceptions, becoming envoys of friendship connecting both sides of the Pacific.

Ambassador Xie said just now he explored the cultural fair, made dumplings and wrote the character 福 (meaning happiness and good fortune) together with young friends, soaking up all the festive vibes. He was glad to see the youths from both countries mingling with each other and sharing joy and happiness at today’s celebration. Differences in language and culture have not stopped our young people from getting to know each other better and deepening friendship. They both sang along at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concerts, and avidly read the Journey to the West novel before playing “Black myth: Wukong”. Likewise, differences in history and national reality should not impede win-win cooperation between our two countries, to the benefit of both peoples and the world. Ambassador Xie invited more young Americans to be part of the “50,000 in five years” initiative, to promote dialogue and cooperation, enhance people-to-people exchanges, and carry forward the goodwill between our two peoples.