President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of music and culture in building bridges and encouraged artists in China and the United States to contribute to people-to-people exchanges between the two countries by conducting closer communication and cooperation.

Xi made the remarks in a recent reply letter published on Friday to Matias Tarnopolsky, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra. The orchestra is currently paying a visit to China to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its historic visit to the country in 1973, a year following former US president Richard Nixon's visit to China that normalized relations between Beijing and Washington.

Xi said he was glad to learn that the orchestra is making its 13th visit to China and giving a series of performances with Chinese partners, which he believes will continue the musical friendship between the people of China and the US over the past half century.

The orchestra's "ice-breaking visit" 50 years ago marked a significant moment in the normalization of Sino-US relations, he said, adding that the musical group has played a positive role in promoting bilateral ties through numerous visits to China since then.

Half a century on, Xi said he believes that the performance jointly conducted by the Philadelphia Orchestra, China National Symphony Orchestra and singers from different countries, will undoubtedly be recorded as a precious story in history.

The Chinese president emphasized that music transcends borders and culture builds bridges.