Across the Pacific, a US high school keeps China-US friendship alive

On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, in the American city of Tacoma, a century-old high school has become a symbol of China-US friendship.

For more than 30 years, Lincoln High School has shared a special bond with China, one built not through politics or diplomacy, but through classrooms, student exchanges, football jerseys, handmade paintings and even ping-pong balls.

The story began in 1993.

That year, Xi Jinping, then secretary of the Communist Party of China Fuzhou Municipal Committee, visited Tacoma and toured Lincoln High School. Few could have imagined that the visit would spark decades of friendship between students thousands of miles apart.

A year later, with Xi's support, the Chinese city of Fuzhou and Tacoma officially became sister cities. In 2008, Lincoln High School also established a sister-school partnership with a Fuzhou middle school, opening the door to years of exchanges in education, sports and culture.

But for many students and teachers, the most unforgettable moment came in September 2015.

During his state visit to the United States, President Xi returned to Lincoln High School. Though the visit lasted little more than an hour, it left a lasting impression on the campus.

Xi arrived bearing gifts – including a ping-pong table and equipment – and spoke warmly about the legacy of "ping-pong diplomacy," the sports exchanges that helped kick-start China-US relations decades ago.

"Small ball moves the big ball," he told the students, encouraging young people from both countries to carry forward the spirit of friendship.

Inside the gymnasium, students showed Xi Jinping their football practice. The school's football captain presented him with a special gift: a No. 1 team jersey.

In classrooms, students greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, in Chinese, "Ni Hao!" Some shared stories of visiting China; others spoke of their dream of seeing the country for themselves. Xi encouraged them to explore China firsthand and said education should serve as a bridge connecting the peoples of the two nations.

Then he made an announcement that sparked loud cheers from the students: 100 Lincoln High School students would be invited to visit China.

A year later, the promise became reality. In 2016, 118 teachers and students from Lincoln High School traveled to China, visiting Fuzhou, Chengdu and Beijing. For many, it was their first time abroad, and a life-changing journey.

Then-principal Patrick Erwin wrote a letter to Xi in 2021, describing the visit as the "best educational experience" of the students' lives.

Years passed, but the friendship endured.

In 2023, during Xi's visit to San Francisco, Lincoln High School students reunited with him once again during a China-US people-to-people exchange event. The school choir presented a hand-painted artwork blending Chinese symbols such as pandas and traditional archways with icons from Washington state, including the Space Needle.

The painting carried a simple message: friendship, peace and hope for the future.

That same spirit continued in 2024, when another group of Lincoln students traveled to China.

Before the trip, student Jessie Jefferson prepared by learning about Chinese food, language and student life. Once there, she said she was struck by the warmth of the people and the grandeur of landmarks such as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China.

Another student, Isaiah Long, delivered a speech at a school affiliated with Tsinghua University, saying the journey gave him a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and helped him form lasting friendships.

For student Montserrat Romero-Rocha, the connection to China runs even deeper. Her sister joined the 2016 exchange program and returned home with a collection of Chinese poetry that still sits on their family bookshelf today.

"My sister's trip inspired me," she said. "We are all beneficiaries of US-China friendship."

In 2024 and 2025, Xi and Peng sent New Year greeting cards to teachers and students from Washington state schools, including Lincoln High School, encouraging young people to strengthen mutual understanding.

Earlier this year, Xi also sent a congratulatory message marking the 55th anniversary of "ping-pong diplomacy," calling on the two peoples, especially younger generations, to better understand each other through exchanges and cooperation, and promote the stable, healthy, and sustainable development of China-US relations.

A student from Lincoln High School surnamed Antony said Xi's message carried a powerful idea – that through mutual learning and understanding, people can grow closer at heart.

"I want to share with my friends back home everything I experienced firsthand in China – the real, vibrant and dynamic China that I saw," he told China Media Group.

Today, Lincoln High School has become more than just a school. It stands as a reminder that even China-US relations are facing frictions, friendships between ordinary people – especially young people – can still bridge oceans.

Because in the end, the foundation of China-US friendship lies in the people, and its future belongs to the youth.