Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a Chinese New Year card to his friends in the U.S. state of Iowa, expressing his warm sentiments and recalling fond memories from 40 years ago. In his message, President Xi emphasized the extensive common interests shared by China and the United States and highlighted the broad space for cooperation between the two nations.
\"The warm reception I received when I visited the beautiful state of Iowa 40 years ago is still fresh in my memory,\" Xi wrote in the card. He expressed hope that both peoples will increase their visits and exchanges, jointly writing new stories of friendship and contributing to the development of China-U.S. relations.
The gesture was in response to a Chinese New Year card sent to President Xi by 58 Iowans, including friends Luca Berrone, Gary Dvorchak, and Sarah Lande; former U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad and his wife; former President of the World Food Prize Foundation Kenneth Quinn; and representatives of teachers, students, and parents who participated in the \"50,000 in Five Years\" initiative, which invites young Americans to China for exchange and study over a five-year period.
In their card, they reminisced about Xi's first visit to Iowa in 1985 and extended New Year greetings to him in the Year of the Snake. The representatives expressed gratitude to President Xi for initiating the \"50,000 in Five Years\" program, shared their heartfelt experiences from visiting China, and conveyed their eagerness to return.
President Xi's message underscores the importance of people-to-people exchanges in strengthening bilateral ties. His reflections on past visits and his vision for future cooperation resonate with the longstanding friendship between the residents of Iowa and China.
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Xi Jinping sends Chinese New Year card in response to friends in Iowa
cgtn.com
