Xi’s Youth-Exchange Appeal Adds a People-to-People Channel to US–China Ties

Beijing, 21 September 2026 – Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged young people from China and the United States to deepen mutual understanding after replying to students who took part in an exchange programme in China. The foreign ministry published the account on 21 September, before the leaders’ later Washington meetings. Treating it as a new 27 September announcement would blur the sequence of events; its significance lies in a longer-running effort to keep civic contact open alongside strategic competition.

The reply addressed students from 10 US universities who had written about their travel experiences and interest in cooperation. According to the official account, nearly 100 students, including participants from Harvard University, were involved in themed programmes such as Future Makers 2026. Xi expressed hope that they would support sustained bilateral relations and closer understanding between the two societies. The statement did not announce a commercial agreement, a new visa rule or an investment commitment.