US students call people-to-people exchanges vital for bilateral ties

A group of 25 US-led international students from Beijing-based universities visited a special exhibition at the Overseas Chinese History Museum of China in Beijing on Tuesday, where they called for enhanced people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States as a vital foundation for bilateral relations.

The exhibition, titled "Tales of People-to-People Bonds Between China and the United States", featured 100 carefully selected artifacts, including gold mining tools, railroad spikes, farming implements, documents and newspapers, catering utensils, anti-war medals, and personal belongings of notable figures.

Wang Lingui, chairman of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, urged the students to become young envoys of China-US people-to-people friendship, to deepen their understanding of China's rich history, traditional philosophy and governance wisdom, and to become skilled storytellers of China's development, promoting mutual understanding and respect between the two peoples.

Devin Reddy, a US student from Peking University's Yenching Academy, noted that the exhibition revealed a deeper connection between the Chinese and American people than he had imagined.

The exhibition vividly captures the lived experiences and moving stories of people from both nations. It reinforces his belief that genuine mutual understanding comes not from distant assumptions, but from firsthand observation, direct listening, and personal encounters, he said.

Kevin Sun, a US student from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, spoke about food as the most natural form of cultural exchange.

He noted how Chinese cuisine in the US has evolved from Cantonese and Americanized dishes to include regional specialties such as Sichuan, Shandong and Xinjiang cuisines, hotpot, and skewers — reflecting Americans' growing exposure to contemporary China's diverse culinary culture.

Nauvao Purl, a US student from the University of International Business and Economics, reflected on Yung Wing, the first Chinese student to graduate from an American university 170 years ago.

"What I learned from Yung Wing is that discomfort and uncertainty — the often awkward spaces — are exactly where the most important work happens," she said.

She urged her peers to "show up" in person, to tell stories rather than argue, to embrace being a bridge between cultures, and to remain patient in people-to-people diplomacy.

"Information is not understanding. Data is not a relationship," Purl said.