American student Kyle Sykes visited China during a field trip via the University of Southern California. It was a remarkable experience that made him fall in love with the country. Describing his experience with CGTN, Sykes noted that Beijing is rich in history, from the Forbidden City to the Great Wall, while Shanghai feels more modern and global. He said he was surprised by Shenzhen because it is an incredibly fast-growing tech hub full of energy and innovation. Sykes said he was most impressed by China's food, high-speed railway, and widely used cashless payments. "I think there is real warmth between ordinary people in every city I visited." Although many years have passed, Sykes said he still remembers how friendly and curious people were, noting that it proved to him the power of human connections.

Sykes added that the U.S. tariffs are clearly a political move and that the additional levies have real-world consequences. "Not just economically, but emotionally," he said.