NEW YORK, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Laughter, music and notes from the traditional Chinese music instrument erhu welcomed a snowy early December night at the compound of China's Consulate-General in Chicago.

The festive vibe created by performances by American middle school students overwhelmed the gathering a week earlier of over 50 people, including teachers and parents, when students also shared experiences of learning Chinese or visiting China. Some of the stories form a part of "West Meets East: 100 American Secondary School Students' Tales about China," a book officially released at the Dec. 1 event.

The recounted Chinese trips were enabled by the "50,000 in 5 Years" Initiative, announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his 2023 visit to San Francisco. The initiative seeks to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs over five years. Some early participants in the program are sharing their thoughts and feelings about China.

THE REAL CHINA

Emmanuel Garcia-Gomez Jr. of Muscatine High School was in the first group visiting China in January 2024 under the program. He saw a giant panda, tasted Beijing duck cuisine and walked the Great Wall, memories Garcia-Gomez Jr. said he'd "cherish forever."

China is "both old and new. That was cool, the way they collided with each other."

"I think to get to know China is one thing through school or a class, but to actually get to know China by being in it and knowing the people is a whole different thing," Garcia-Gomez told Xinhua. "The taste, the feel, the smell, the sights of China really set into picture how good of a place it can be."

A wealth of Chinese culture, high-speed trains and hospitable Chinese peers were among the highlights the students mentioned.

Eighteen-year-old Lily Rabb is a student of Chicago Intercultural Montessori Language School. "I didn't have as much access as I would have liked to really fully understand China, even though I was learning Chinese," she said. "It was only when I got to go to China and actually touch Chinese soil where we got to eat Chinese food could I really understand" the country.

ENSURING FRIENDSHIP

The experiences of these American teenagers in China "told us that friendship is built through exchange," Gu Licheng, chief editor of the book on the students' travels to China and a professor at Northwestern University in the U.S., told Xinhua.

This point of view is echoed in the accounts of the participants both inside and outside the book.

"Getting to experience how warm and inviting and friendly the (Chinese) people are was really, really amazing," Ava Moore of the Montessori Language School told Xinhua. "I definitely have a better understanding of the Chinese language and Chinese people" through the program.

"And why I want to learn the language at all -- because I want to build these connections with people in China," she added.

Penelope Roewe of Niles North High School in the U.S. state of Illinois interviewed Sarah Lande of Muscatine, Iowa, and highlighted the 40-year friendship between President Xi and his Iowan friends, including Lande.

The friendship produced a profound "impact" over the years, inspiring American teens to visit China and make Chinese friends, she said.

During her two-week stay in China in 2024, Roewe made new friends in every city she visited. "We had many differences, but through this interaction, we realized all our similarities," she wrote.

The relations between China and the United States "should be a friendship where not only innovation is shared, but each culture is appreciated," she noted.

Luca Berrone, a board member of Iowa Sister States, is an old friend of President Xi. He has been actively pushing the "50,000 in 5 Years" Initiative statewide.

"It really warms my heart to look at the students and feel their enthusiasm about their trip and what they discover," he told Xinhua.

"One of the most meaningful things that the kids we have exposed to this initiative come back with is the ability to relate to friends, young friends, same-age friends, and their family in China," he said. "That moment that they come together and exchange ideas, passions, and interests has become kind of the culmination of their trip."

A SHARED FUTURE

Young people are energetic and full of dreams, and the future of China-U.S. relations lies with them, President Xi said in a message to a China-U.S. youth festival held in eastern China in June 2024.

He also expressed hope that Chinese and U.S. youth will have in-depth exchanges, enhance friendship, know each other well and work hand in hand to carry forward China-U.S. friendship, contribute to the sound and steady growth of China-U.S. relations, and work with people around the world to build peace, promote progress and create prosperity.

During the Dec. 1 event in Chicago, principals from 18 elementary and middle schools in both China and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding to expand inter-school cooperation and long-term exchange mechanisms.

The Montessori Language School inked a partnership with a Shanghai middle school. Head of the school Roderick Shaw said: "We have sister schools, so that we could exchange information, we could collaborate together, we could learn how to work together by understanding each other's tradition, each other's culture, and each other's strength."

China and the U.S. are both major countries, "so why not educate the young students, so that they together could understand their strength, and build upon that to have a better world," he said.

Regarding the "50,000 in 5 Years" Initiative, he said the vision opens a window for American teenagers to see China.

Back from his trip to China, Cole Loos, a junior at Muscatine High School, has become aware of how significant the initiative is to the future of U.S.-China relations. "Through this experience, I've become even more eager to explore China and learn more about this country." Enditem