Beijing's top envoy in Washington has extended an invitation to young Americans to visit China, which will endow them with firsthand experiences in the country and enhance mutual understanding between the two nations.

"I invite more young Americans to be part of the '50,000 in five years'?initiative, promote dialogue and cooperation, enhance people-to-people exchanges, and carry forward the goodwill between our two peoples," Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng said on Saturday.

In his summit meeting with US President Joe Biden in San Francisco in November 2023, President Xi Jinping announced that, "China is ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years."

The program has so far hosted nearly 15,000 young Americans from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, surpassing its annual target, Xie said at the 2025 Spring Festival Gala for Chinese and American Youths on Saturday at the Chinese embassy in Washington.

The Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, will fall on Jan 29 this year, kicking off the Year of the Snake, according to the Chinese calendar.

Xie noted that amid all the changes and turbulence in the international landscape, optimism and confidence are needed more than ever, that no winter could stop the arrival of spring, and people should gear up for the new year by taking action starting now.

"The Chinese words for youth, qing chun, literally mean a blooming spring. In the year ahead, I believe the youths from both our countries will instill more hope and vigor into China-US relations," the ambassador said.

Over the past year, young Americans traveling to China observed the country with their own eyes, and with those experiences, they have broken out of the echo chamber and shaken off misperceptions, becoming envoys of friendship and connecting both sides of the Pacific, according to Xie.

To illustrate how differences in language and culture have not stopped young people from getting to know each other better and from deepening friendship, Xie said both Chinese and Americans sang along at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concerts, and avidly read The Journey to the West novel before playing the Black Myth: Wukong video game.

"Likewise, differences in history and national reality should not impede win-win cooperation between our two countries, to the benefit of both peoples and the world," he said.

The ambassador encouraged young people in both countries to view one another's development with a more open and inclusive mind, deepen exchanges and cooperation in a more innovative way, and jointly address new challenges like AI and climate change, so as to help find a right way for their countries to get along in the new era.

Xie joined more than 500 Chinese and American students and US educational representatives at a cultural fair, made dumplings and wrote the character fu (meaning happiness and good fortune) together with young friends.

Speaking at the gala, Tara Boyce-Hofmann, president and chief executive officer of American Field Service USA, or AFS-USA, said the Year of the Snake symbolizes wisdom and adaptability, "traits that are vital as we navigate from our increasingly interconnected world".

AFS-USA, formerly known as the American Field Service, is a nonprofit organization that offers international student-exchange programs in more than 80 countries around the world.

"As students and educators, we stand on the threshold of rich opportunities that lie in the cultural exchanges between American and Chinese communities," Boyce-Hofmann said.

Boyce-Hofmann, who oversaw the launch of AFS student programs with China in the mid-1980s, noted that visiting each other's countries is not merely a journey; it is an experience that opens people's hearts and minds.

"By immersing ourselves in different cultures, we learn to appreciate distinct perspectives, forge genuine friendships and celebrate our shared humanity," she said. "During these exchanges, every smile, every shared meal, and every heartfelt conversation creates lasting connections."

In a podcast interview with Foreign Affairs magazine on Thursday, US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns underlined the importance of increasing the number of young Americans studying in China.

He said that number currently stands at 1,105, which is "modest progress" from a low base, as there were 15,000 a decade ago.