China welcomes more Americans to visit the country to strengthen exchanges, gain a firsthand understanding of its development and contribute to China-U.S. friendship, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.
Mao made the remarks during a regular press briefing following the successful conclusion of the “Bond with Kuliang: 2026 China-U.S. Youth Baseball Exhibition Games and Sports Festival,” which was held in China from June 28 to July 2.
“We are glad to see that the century-old story of Kuliang is gaining vitality with new stories of friendly exchanges,” Mao said.
She highlighted several recent exchange initiatives, including the China-U.S. Youth Sports Festival, the Flying Tigers Youth Leadership Dialogue and the “PandaMaxxing” China-U.S. youth exchange program, describing them as examples of friendship, mutual understanding and shared connections between the people of the two countries despite their differences.
Mao said these initiatives demonstrate that the strength of China-U.S. relations lies in the people, with grassroots connections providing the foundation, young people shaping the future and subnational exchanges driving continued momentum.
She also noted that since China launched its initiative in November 2023 to invite 50,000 young Americans to participate in exchange and study programs over five years, more than 50,000 American youths have already visited China, reaching the goal two and a half years ahead of schedule.
According to Mao, the number of American visitors entering China also increased significantly during the first half of this year.
