Youth exchange connects future leaders

A growing youth exchange program, as part of the Philadelphia-Tianjin partnership, is helping build new connections between the next generation of leaders from China and the United States.

Established in 1980, the partnership is among the earliest sister-city relationships between China and the US. What began with official exchanges has gradually evolved into broader people-to-people engagement, with youth programs playing an increasingly prominent role.

In November 2023, President Xi Jinping announced an important initiative, inviting 50,000 young people from the US to China to visit and study over the five years that followed.

In 2024, the Foreign Affairs Office of Tianjin, the Tianjin Municipal Education Commission, Tianjin Foreign Languages School Affiliated to Tianjin Foreign Studies University and the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia jointly launched the Junior Diplomats online program, creating a virtual platform for young people from both cities to connect.

"Every youth exchange sows seeds of friendship and strength for bilateral ties," said Luan Jianzhang, an official with the Foreign Affairs Office of Tianjin. "These students are not just visiting another country — they are becoming the next generation of cultural envoys, building a bridge of understanding across the Pacific."

Following a visit by students from TFLS, known locally as Xiaowai, to Philadelphia in February, a delegation from Parkway Center City Middle College in Pennsylvania completed a return visit to Tianjin in May. The exchange included joint classes, cultural activities, campus visits, themed discussions and homestays with local families.

Organizers said the program is set to expand, with plans already underway for Tianjin students to visit Philadelphia next year during US Independence Day celebrations. The two schools are also exploring year-round virtual exchanges and joint educational projects.

For many students, the most memorable takeaway was discovering how much they had in common despite living on opposite sides of the Pacific. "We have a lot of similarities, and I was shocked at just how many," said Nathanael Owen Targono, a student from Parkway. "I really enjoyed this trip and the interactions with my new friends. I hope to keep in touch with them."

During the visit, students practiced languages together, experienced traditional Chinese culture and shared conversations about school life, hobbies, aspirations and global issues.

The exchange also fostered connections among educators. Dennis William Mulvey, a teacher from Parkway, said he and Zhang Yuwang, vice-principal of TFLS, spent hours exchanging ideas about education, often relying on translation apps during the homestay program. "We share a lot of similar ideas to help our students understand each other better," Dennis said. "I will take back these wonderful memories and tell my students things the books don't say."

Samuel Chueh, commissioner of the Mayor's Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs in Philadelphia, said the exchange came at an opportune moment.

"I hope the children from both countries not only get to know each other, but also understand each other's countries and cultures, and continue the deep friendship in the future," he said.

Chueh noted that next year's exchange in Philadelphia will allow Chinese students to experience American history and culture firsthand during Independence Day celebrations.

"The significance of this educational exchange goes far beyond school cooperation," he said. "It has a positive and far-reaching influence on the long-term development of China-US relations and the image of the two cities."

Meng Jiarui and Hu Yang contributed to this story.

yandongjie@chinadaily.com.cn