Pickleball becomes a new bridge for China-US youth friendship
- Written by: Telegraph Magazine
BEIJING, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire – 30 September 2026 – Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the United States from September 23 to 25 at the invitation of US President Donald Trump.
At a White House welcoming ceremony, Xi invited 100,000 young Americans to visit China for exchange and study programs over the next five years.
"The hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people, and its future lies in the youth," Xi said.
This new initiative builds on an earlier announcement Xi made in San Francisco in November 2023, where China committed to inviting 50,000 young Americans to participate in exchange programs over five years. Two and a half years later, that target was achieved ahead of schedule, with the total number of participants exceeding the initial goal.
To coincide with the state visit, People's Daily released a video titled "Through Xi's eyes: Where youth bridges the Pacific." The video highlights young people from China and the United States who formed lasting connections through their shared passion for pickleball—a dynamic fostered by the "50,000 in Five Years" initiative.
In the feature, students from both nations recall meeting six months ago at the 2026 China-US Youth Pickleball Friendship Tournament in Beijing and say they hope to meet again. Pickleball has emerged as a new bond of friendship, bringing young people closer through teamwork, high-fives and shared laughter.
The video also highlights a personal exchange. Following a 2025 exchange trip to China, delegation leader Jeffrey Sullivan and his students wrote to President Xi to express their gratitude for the experience. About a month later, President Xi replied—arriving on Sullivan's birthday. In his letter, Xi expressed delight in seeing pickleball serve as a bridge for youth exchanges between the two nations.
"It's a great initiative in that it provides opportunities for friendships to form and for bonds to deepen, while setting the stage for intentional learning among our youth," Sullivan said.
Just as "ping-pong diplomacy" famously opened doors to China-US relations decades ago, pickleball is building a modern bridge of friendship. Exchange and cooperation continue to reflect the shared aspirations of both peoples, with young goodwill ambassadors injecting fresh momentum into long-term bilateral ties.
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