Friendship across frontiers

A small donation has grown into a forest, testifying to the enduring strength of China-US people-to-people bonds

The very land that US friend Ronald Sakolsky helped rejuvenate is now a thriving forest and ecological garden. It stands as a living testament to how transnational people-to-people bonds can advance the common interests of humanity. A $5,000 donation led to more than 50,000 trees flourishing amid the sands. That reads almost like a fairy tale, doesn't it? Yet this is a documented fact. It is the realization of a dream nurtured by Sakolsky, a teacher from the United States, and a promise kept by Chinese farmer Yin Yuzhen over decades.

In 1999, while teaching in Henan province, Sakolsky was moved by a television report about Yin's relentless fight against encroaching sands, or desertification. Inspired by her determination, he raised $5,000 over the following two months to support her tree-planting efforts. In May 2000, Sakolsky traveled to the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and met Yin for the first time. The funds he had raised helped Yin purchase and plant saplings, which over the following decades grew into a forest of more than 50,000 trees.

What Yin accomplished was anything but easy. The Mu Us Sandy Land, where her forest stands, covers some 42,200 square kilometers. Once severely affected by desertification, the region has undergone a remarkable ecological transformation through decades of sustained efforts by generations of people such as Yin. Such has been the transformation. Chinese media described it by saying the Mu Us Sandy Land is close to "disappearing" from the map, as the once-barren landscape has made way for lush greenery and more sustainable livelihoods for local communities.

On Aug 23, Sakolsky returned to China and met Yin again after 26 years. The following day, standing in the forest, he saw the tree they had jointly planted 26 years ago, now a towering giant. It stands as a living testament to how a friendship across frontiers can redefine the ecological frontier between desert and forest, inspiring people across diverse nations to unite in the global cause of environmental sustainability.

The story demonstrates a cultural value that gives people-to-people exchanges their enduring power: a commitment to keeping one's word. For 26 years, Yin held that promise close to her heart, driven by a simple desire to show Sakolsky in person that the Chinese people keep their word. As the ancient Chinese proverb goes, "A promise carries the weight of a thousand gold pieces". This enduring commitment carried Yin through the 26 years before she met Sakolsky again.

It is the very same spirit that propels China's growing contributions to a greener planet, as well as to wider affairs of global development and governance. In recent years, China has successively launched the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative — all dedicated to addressing humanity's common concerns. These efforts have steadily bolstered China's global credibility.

As highlighted in a Pew Research Center survey released in July, China's international image has markedly improved. Its standing is particularly strong across middle-income nations, where many people view China as a reliable partner and a contributor to global peace and stability.

The story also offers another powerful lesson: The Chinese people deeply cherish the goodwill shown by friends from the US and around the world.

A parallel story of Sino-US people-to-people friendship unfolded in Kuliang, Fujian province. Beginning in the 1880s, a growing number of US residents settled in Fuzhou and gathered in Kuliang each summer to escape the heat. They built villas, hospitals, post offices and recreational facilities, while forging deep bonds with local residents and offering them sincere assistance. More than a century later, these cherished memories continue to blossom into new chapters of friendship. In much the same spirit, the story of Sakolsky and Yin stands as a new milestone — one that has inspired, and will continue to inspire, people from diverse nations to unite in working toward a better shared future for all humanity.

Indeed, this story reinforces our conviction that Sino-US people-to-people friendship remains indispensable. During their Beijing summit in May, the leaders of China and the US agreed to pursue "constructive strategic stability" as the new orientation for bilateral ties. Fostering closer people-to-people interactions to advance state-to-state relations is a cause China has always supported. By May, the five-year initiative to invite 50,000 young US citizens to China for cultural exchanges and studies had reached its target two-and-a-half years ahead of schedule. Sino-US people-to-people exchanges not only cultivate mutual trust but also enable shared achievements. Both nations face common challenges — climate change, artificial intelligence governance and cross-border pandemic preparedness — all of which demand the wisdom of cooperation.

The story also invites reflection on how international communication can foster cross-border friendship in a changing media landscape. In 1999, it was broadcast television that first connected Sakolsky to Yin, a woman he had never met. More than two decades later, social networking platforms have become the major gateway through which people encounter and share information. Yin's search for Sakolsky drew global attention and crowd-sourced assistance, ultimately facilitating their second meeting.

Since Sakolsky's return to China in August, social networking platforms are filled with heartwarming clips documenting their journey. This vividly demonstrates that in the digital age, human connections can cross the barriers of time, space and language, allowing uplifting emotions to be shared universally.

Yin and Sakolsky's shared legend offers a unique lens for audiences in the US and across the globe to recognize the immense efforts behind ecological restoration, as well as the enduring value of transnational people-to-people friendship. Broader interactions and joint efforts between the people of China and the US in priority domains — such as environmental protection, cultural exchanges, and AI governance — remain highly anticipated. Meanwhile, transnational social media platforms hold immense potential to carry these stories across linguistic, cultural and national frontiers, ultimately fostering global friendship and mutual trust.

The author is an assistant research fellow at the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.