China’s first lady Peng Liyuan told a group of Chinese and American students that a “tree of friendship” between the two countries can be nurtured through travel experiences, as she attended a friendly basketball match between the high school teams in Beijing on Tuesday.
The sports and culture event, billed as a “Shared Journey for China-US Friendship”, was held at the Beijing No. 8 High School on Tuesday afternoon. It welcomed a youth delegation from 10 high schools in the US state of Washington, who recently toured the provinces of Guizhou, Sichuan and Shandong.
Peng said she hoped that the young people of both countries can “know each other better” and “inject positive energy into bilateral relations”, adding that future ties rest on them, according to a readout from state news agency Xinhua.
Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan watches routines by Chinese and US student cheerleaders on Tuesday in Beijing. Photo: Xinhua
After watching the match between the Chinese and US teams, Peng presented the students with commemorative medals, while noting that the trip had “helped forge a deep friendship” between the two sides. The players also sang Chinese and English songs together.
The American students were invited by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, an official people-to-people diplomacy organisation that aims to “enhance people’s friendship, further international cooperation, safeguard world peace and promote common development”.
