Lianbo｜Tourism builds a "bridge" to promote mutual understanding and similarity between the people of China and the United States

"Tourism is an important bridge for exchanges and mutual understanding between the people of China and the United States." On May 22, President Xi Jinping sent a letter to the opening of the 14th China-US Tourism High-Level Dialogue, expressing his enthusiasm for deepening China-US tourism cooperation. expect.

In November 2023, the heads of state of China and the United States met in San Francisco and reached a series of important consensuses, mapping out the "San Francisco Vision" for the future of Sino-US relations. Among them, "promoting tourism cooperation" is one of the important contents of the "San Francisco Vision". This China-U.S. high-level tourism dialogue is a concrete action.

On May 22, 2024, students from China and the United States sang a chorus at the opening ceremony of the 14th China-US Tourism High-Level Dialogue.

Across the vast Pacific Ocean, tourism builds a "bridge", allowing the people of the two countries to move more, communicate more, and communicate more. Since 2007, China and the United States have jointly initiated and established the China-US Tourism High-Level Dialogue Mechanism, which has established an important communication platform for the two countries, enriched the connotation of Sino-US cooperation, promoted exchanges and mutual understanding between the two peoples, and promoted the economies of the two countries. Growth played an important role.

Today, in an era of turmoil, Sino-US relations are still at a critical crossroads. How to strengthen the main axis of peaceful development? President Xi emphasized “building more bridges of mutual understanding and mutual affection between the two peoples.” China and the United States are both major tourism countries with important international influence. Building a bridge of mutual understanding through tourism will not only benefit the people of the two countries, but also provide important support for the sustainable development of the global tourism industry and inject new momentum into the development of the world economy.

Tourism is a bridge that spreads civilization, exchanges culture and enhances friendship.

President Xi often says that good relations between countries depend on people-to-people ties. Tourism, as an important carrier to showcase a country's image and enhance mutual learning among civilizations, is an effective way for the two peoples to deepen understanding and enhance friendship, and plays a decisive role in promoting the healthy development of Sino-US relations.

Looking back on the past, China and the United States have continued to deepen pragmatic tourism cooperation, with frequent highlights: in terms of cooperation and exchange mechanisms, the two sides have jointly established the China-US Joint Committee on Commerce and Trade Tourism Working Group, the China-US Provincial and State Tourism Directors Cooperation and Development Dialogue Conference, the China-US Tourism High-level dialogue; in terms of people-to-people and cultural exchange activities, the two sides held each other's "China-US Tourism Year", signed a memorandum of understanding on tourism partner cities, and formed tourism partner cities...

At present, further resuming and developing Sino-US tourism cooperation will facilitate the people of the two countries to understand each other at "zero distance". It is also a crucial step to promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of Sino-US bilateral relations.

In May 2024, "Zhangzhou Minnan Culture Week" will enter American campuses.

In early May, the Chinese Embassy in the United States participated in the "Around the World Embassy Open Day" event in Washington, D.C., and held an open day and Fujian Province promotion event with the theme of "Refreshing Fujian, the Starting Point of the Maritime Silk Road". The museum is crowded with people all day long. Americans, families, or friends are wandering around, tasting "fresh Fujian" and experiencing the great beauty of China. Many Americans say they would like to travel to China, see giant pandas, and experience the charm of Chinese culture in person if they have the opportunity.

"Promote personnel exchanges through tourism cooperation, and continue China-U.S. friendship through people-to-people and cultural exchanges." President Xi's expectations in this letter have opened a window for the people of China and the United States to better understand each other today, and also established a window for people-to-people exchanges. Lift the bridge.

Tourism is an effective means to develop the economy and increase employment.

Since the official launch of Chinese citizen group travel to the United States in 2008, China and the United States have become each other's important tourist destinations and source countries over the years. The huge tourism market is an important part of Sino-US economic exchanges.

In the United States, a number of large Chinese online travel companies are actively developing the tourism market, and Chinese companies are actively carrying out strategic investments and cooperation in areas such as American hotels; in China, multiple joint venture theme park projects such as Disneyland and Universal Studios have successively invested in Operations, many well-known international hotel brands in the United States have settled in the Chinese market, and many American cruise ships have chosen Chinese cities as their ports of visit...

Looking back on the past, from exchange and cooperation in the tourism market to upgrading the tourism industry, China and the United States jointly developed tourism products, built a dynamic, win-win tourism economic and trade relationship, and achieved fruitful cooperation results. Currently, with the joint efforts of China and the United States, the number of direct passenger flights between the two countries has been increased to 100 per week since March, which better meets the needs of personnel exchanges.

The Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce said that if the number of Chinese tourists to the United States can be restored to the level of 2019, more than 50,000 jobs will be supported. Some American experts believe that building a bridge of friendship between the two peoples through tourism and other means not only plays an important role in the stable and healthy development of Sino-US relations, but also helps build a better world.

Tourism builds a "bridge" and builds a solid public opinion foundation for the healthy and stable development of China-U.S. relations.

Hosting this China-U.S. High-Level Tourism Dialogue is an initiative to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their meeting in San Francisco. President Xi Jinping’s letter fully reflects the great importance he attaches to Sino-US relations and will definitely promote the recovery and development of Sino-US tourism cooperation and take it to a new level.

"We warmly welcome American tourists to travel to China, meet Chinese friends, experience Chinese culture, visit beautiful mountains and rivers, and experience the real China firsthand." President Xi has warmly invited Americans to travel to China on many international occasions.

On April 20, 2024, the "Heritage of Friendship" study group from Muscatine High School in Iowa, USA, came to Shijiazhuang Foreign Language School, and Chinese and American students took a Chinese class together.

In November 2023, President Xi Jinping announced during his visit to the United States that China is willing to invite 50,000 American teenagers to come to China to exchange and study in the next five years. In January this year, the "American Youth Envoy Exchange and Learning Program" was launched, and nearly 200 projects have been included in this year's plan. Many American teenagers come to China for exchanges and studies. They wear Hanfu, climb the Great Wall, and visit the Forbidden City together with Chinese teenagers. They make friends with Chinese teenagers, learn from each other, and experience a real, three-dimensional, and comprehensive China from multiple dimensions.

Tourism can eliminate prejudice, enhance understanding, and build mutual trust, which is exactly what is needed to strengthen Sino-US relations at the moment. China and the United States should take more actions to jointly promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges and inject greater momentum into the continuous improvement and development of bilateral relations.

Proofreading | Meng Lizheng, Lu Yang, Song Chunyan, Liang Yaqin, Mao Changzhi, Yan Tiantian