On January 7, 2026, President Xi Jinping replied to a letter from a U.S. youth education exchange delegation comprised of teachers and students from the Diamond Minds Transformational Leadership Academy in Miami, Florida, the University of Florida, and Miami-Dade College.

Xi Jinping said he was pleased to learn that the teachers and students of the exchange delegation had a pleasant and rewarding journey in China, and felt their strong interest and sincere feelings for Chinese culture.

Xi Jinping noted that the hope of China-U.S. relations lies in the people, and its future depends on the youth. Since the launch of the initiative to invite 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programs over a five-year period (hereinafter referred to as "50,000 in five years"), over 40,000 U.S. youth have actively participated, opening a window for them to understand the real China and building a bridge to carry forward the friendship between the two peoples. This fully demonstrates that friendly exchanges and cooperation are the shared aspiration of the people of both China and the United States. Xi Jinping said he looks forward to more American youth joining the cause of China-U.S. friendship, becoming a new generation of envoys for friendship between the two countries, and making greater contributions to enhancing people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States and promoting the development of bilateral relations.

Recently, the teachers and students of the U.S. youth education exchange delegation wrote a letter to President Xi Jinping, reviewing their visit to China in October 2025 and expressing gratitude for the "50,000 in five years" initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, which has provided a valuable opportunity to enhance mutual understanding between the youth of the two countries.