For Marlon Forrester and Joey Zhang, a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping brought an unexpected reply.

The two were among nearly 100 students from 10 US universities who recently participated in youth exchanges in China. After the trip, they wrote to Xi to share what they had seen and experienced. A reply arrived on the eve of Xi's state visit to the United States.

In an exclusive interview with CGTN, Forrester, a Harvard faculty member, and Zhang, a Columbia University student, said the experience made them feel part of a new generation carrying forward exchanges between the two countries. They described Xi's engagement with young people as "planting seeds" and "laying a foundation" for future exchanges.

There may be many more such stories ahead. At a White House welcome ceremony on September 24, Xi announced that China will invite 100,000 young Americans to visit China for exchanges and study over the next five years.

This commitment highlights how high-level decisions translate into the real-life experiences of ordinary people and further illustrates why the world is watching as China and the US shape the future of their relationship.

Steering the course of China-US ties

Frequent interactions between Xi and US President Donald Trump in 2026 have steadily steered the giant ship of China-US relations forward.

During a phone call in February, Xi and Trump agreed to "accomplish more big things and good things," with Xi urging both nations to make 2026 a year of advancing toward mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.

Three months later, Trump visited China. The two presidents spent nearly nine hours together and reached a milestone political consensus to build "a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability."

For Xi, setting the direction is only the beginning. "Building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability is neither an expedient measure nor something that can be achieved overnight," he told Trump in Washington, calling on both sides to implement their consensus with the "spirit of driving the nail."

That effort is reflected in flourishing people-to-people ties. From students at Lincoln High School in Washington State to youth groups from Maryland and Florida, Xi has repeatedly responded to letters and encouraged young people to become a new generation of friendship envoys.

Economic ties offer another solid foundation. According to China's Ministry of Commerce, as of July 2026, US companies had established over 84,000 foreign-invested enterprises in China, with investment growing 7.8% year on year in the first half of the year. A survey of 175 US companies by the US-China Business Council revealed that 95% viewed their China operations as vital to global competitiveness. 

Responsibility extending beyond two countries 

The stakes of the China-US relationship extend far beyond Beijing and Washington.

At the White House, Xi said "China-US cooperation may not solve every problem in the world. But, without our cooperation, it would be hard to solve many of the world's problems."

He called on both sides to "lengthen the list of cooperation, and shorten the list of issues," pointing to areas ranging from trade and investment to artificial intelligence, counternarcotics, law enforcement and direct flights.

Sun Taiyi, an associate professor at Christopher Newport University, noted that bilateral cooperation reduces market uncertainty, manages tech risks, and improves crisis communication. "Even limited cooperation can generate important positive spillovers for global stability."

AI governance is drawing particular global focus. "Both China and the United States are leading nations in artificial intelligence," Xi said in the meeting, emphasizing their shared responsibility to ensure AI remains "under human control and serves the well-being of the people."

Wang Honggang, director of the Institute of Peaceful Development at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, added that joint AI governance would be a prime example of China-US cooperation benefiting the world.

Global public opinion reflects these stakes. A CGTN survey across 39 countries showed that 75% of respondents – rising to 78.3% in developing nations – consider stable China-US relations vital to the international community.

With China hosting the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and the US hosting the G20 Summit this year, global focus will closely follow how the two leaders interact, sustain communication, and expand cooperation.

As Xi put it in his White House speech, "China and the United States, as two major countries, shoulder a historic responsibility of advancing human development and progress."