On January 31, 2026, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng attended the 2026 China-U.S. Youth Spring Festival Gala, joining over 500 young Americans from more than 20 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, along with Chinese students, in celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year.

Ambassador Xie said in his remarks that, as the most important bilateral relationship in the world, the China-U.S. relationship requires careful nurturing by both our peoples. Youth exchanges, like spring plowing, instill the greatest vitality into the process. At present, China is taking solid steps to follow up on the 15th Five-Year Plan and advance Chinese modernization on all fronts through high-quality development. An open and inclusive China will always be an anchor of stability for world peace, a pillar of global development, and a major engine of global growth. Embracing China is embracing opportunities, and supporting China-U.S. youth exchanges is investing in the future.

Ambassador Xie said that minds are enlivened through dialogue, and civilizations progress through exchange. China has built the world’s largest high-quality education system, with abundant and comprehensive talent resources. The U.S. is a leading nation in education, boasting rich resources and a deep-rooted tradition of innovation. Both our countries have a lot of insightful educators, and we have every reason to draw on each other, complement one another, and set an example for enhancing mutual understanding and expanding cooperation. We firmly support people with vision from the U.S. education community and other sectors in speaking up and acting with a sense of responsibility for the future, overcoming the chilling effect and disruptions, and vigorously advocating and participating in China-U.S. educational exchanges, so as to infuse more hope and vitality into bilateral relations.