Sixth annual 'My China Album' records Americans' footprints in China

Lancaster, a retired teacher from California, began her adventure in Beijing, where she was captivated by the city's blend of history and modernity. Her visit to a traditional Hutong home left a lasting impression, highlighting the "incredible ingenuity" of the culture.

In 2024, China and the US celebrated 45 years of diplomatic ties, the stories of young Americans who visited China for study or exchange programs, decades of ongoing bilateral cooperation on giant panda conservation, and more. All are recorded in the sixth "My China Alum" series.

A highlight of this renewed cooperation is the "YES" (Youth Exchange and Study) program under President Xi Jinping's "50,000 in Five Years" initiative, which has enabled 16,000 American students to visit and study in China.

The program has fostered cultural understanding and friendship between young people from both countries. One student shared the experience, stating, "We were talking about universities together and studying, so that was like one week that we connected."

"China is just so incredible," another American student exclaims.

Beyond education, the two countries also have revived decades of ongoing panda conservation programs, a significant symbol of goodwill between the nations.

The initiatives have not only strengthened ties between the Chinese and American people but also injected a much-needed sense of stability and certainty into the global landscape.

As President Xi says in his speeches featured in this video, "The hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in our societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from exchanges at subnational levels."

"My China Album" is jointly produced by the Chinese embassy in the US and China Daily.