What’s new: China will invite 50,000 young Americans to study abroad and participate in exchange programs over the next five years, President Xi Jinping said at a dinner in San Francisco on Wednesday, following his summit with U.S. President Joe Biden.
“We should build more bridges and pave more roads for people-to-people interactions. We must not erect barriers or create a chilling effect,” Xi said, according to a transcript of the address released by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Xi also said China will continue working with the U.S. on panda conservation efforts as he pledged to “meet the wishes of the Californians” who want to see giant pandas back at the San Diego Zoo. The last giant pandas at the zoo were returned to China in 2019.
Xi made the remarks in a speech delivered at an event organized by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the U.S.-China Business Council, and other organizations.
What’s more: The two countries will further increase direct flights, said Xi, adding that China and the U.S. will hold a high-level dialogue on tourism while streamlining visa applications as part of the consensus reached by the two presidents during their four-hour meeting.
Only 211 American students studied in the Chinese mainland during the 2021-2022 school year, according to data released by the U.S. government-funded Institute of International Education this week. The number was more than 11,600 from 2018 to 2019.
Contact reporter Kelly Wang (jingzhewang@caixin.com) and editor Lu Zhenhua (zhenhualu@caixin.com)
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