In a gesture aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties, Chinese President Xi Jinping has replied to nearly 100 American students from 10 U.S. universities who jointly wrote to him after recently visiting China as part of the Future Makers 2026 China-U.S. Youth Tour. Xi expressed his satisfaction with their exchange experiences and urged young people from both countries to deepen mutual understanding, promote friendship, and work together for a brighter future.
The program, organized during China’s APEC host year, brought together 170 young participants from China and the U.S.
It was jointly organized by the Beijing NGO Network for International Exchanges and the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, with support from the Beijing Municipal Government’s Foreign Affairs Office and Chinese diplomatic missions in the U.S. Students from prestigious U.S. institutions including Harvard, Columbia, the University of Chicago, and the University of Washington joined Chinese peers from Tsinghua University and Qufu Normal University for the weeklong tour.
During the tour from September 1 to 7, the participating students visited Jinan, Qufu, and Beijing, exploring historic and cultural sites such as the Nishan Sacred Land, the Temple and Mansion of Confucius, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. The journey offered them a deep dive into China’s rich cultural heritage. In addition to cultural exploration, the students observed China’s rapid advances in technology and innovation, touring facilities such as Beijing E-Town Robot World, the Beijing High-Level Autonomous Driving Demonstration Area, and the Xiaomi Auto Factory.
A symbolic highlight was the planting of white-bark pines at Yanqi Lake, commemorating the 2014 APEC leaders’ tree-planting event and signifying enduring friendship between Chinese and American youth.
Youth from both countries also engaged in discussions on cultural values, youth responsibility, and cooperation at Qufu Normal University and Tsinghua University. The exchanges helped build bridges of understanding between the participants.
As the program concluded, the American students wrote to Xi, expressing how the visit deepened their understanding of China and their desire to serve as ‘ambassadors of friendship across the Pacific’ upon returning home.
Daryl Ng Win-kong, director of the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation and chairman of Sino Group, said President Xi’s reply to the American youth was a “great honor and a tremendous source of encouragement.”
“Inspired by President Xi’s message, we will continue to support international youth exchanges and dialogue, and do our part to foster greater understanding, friendship and people-to-people connections across borders,” Ng added.
