Chinese President Xi Jinping has invited 100,000 young Americans to visit China for exchange and study programs over the next five years, a significant expansion of a people-to-people initiative that has already exceeded its initial targets. The announcement came during Xi’s state visit to the United States from September 23 to 25 at the invitation of US President Donald Trump, according to a report distributed via Media OutReach Newswire.
At a White House welcoming ceremony, Xi said, “The hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people, and its future lies in the youth.” The new initiative builds on an earlier commitment made in San Francisco in November 2023, where China pledged to invite 50,000 young Americans over five years. That target was achieved ahead of schedule, with total participants exceeding the initial goal.
To coincide with the state visit, People’s Daily released a video titled “Through Xi’s eyes: Where youth bridges the Pacific.” The video highlights young people from China and the United States who formed lasting connections through their shared passion for pickleball—a dynamic fostered by the “50,000 in Five Years” initiative. Students from both nations recall meeting six months ago at the 2026 China-US Youth Pickleball Friendship Tournament in Beijing and say they hope to meet again. Pickleball has emerged as a new bond of friendship, bringing young people closer through teamwork, high-fives and shared laughter.
The video also features a personal exchange. Following a 2025 exchange trip to China, delegation leader Jeffrey Sullivan and his students wrote to President Xi to express their gratitude. About a month later, Xi replied—arriving on Sullivan’s birthday. In his letter, Xi expressed delight in seeing pickleball serve as a bridge for youth exchanges between the two nations. “It’s a great initiative in that it provides opportunities for friendships to form and for bonds to deepen, while setting the stage for intentional learning among our youth,” Sullivan said.
The significance of these exchanges extends beyond mere cultural interaction. Just as “ping-pong diplomacy” famously opened doors to China-US relations decades ago, pickleball is building a modern bridge of friendship. Exchange and cooperation continue to reflect the shared aspirations of both peoples, with young goodwill ambassadors injecting fresh momentum into long-term bilateral ties. The expanded invitation to 100,000 young Americans signals a sustained commitment to fostering people-to-people connections at a time when bilateral relations remain complex. By focusing on youth and shared activities like pickleball, the initiative aims to create a foundation of mutual understanding that could influence the trajectory of the relationship for years to come.
