Foreign students’ frequent China tours sign of recovering people-to-people exchanges

Published: July 22,2024

From the Forbidden City in Beijing to the ancient towns of Yunnan in the southwest, students from numerous countries and regions have flown to various Chinese cities for an immersive experience of the vast country.

The students, hailing from the United States, France, Russia and other countries, have engaged in diverse activities, including learning table tennis and Chinese poetry, visiting the Flying Tigers museum, and touring high-tech companies. Impressed by China’s rich culture and rapid industrial development, the foreign students — mostly visiting the country for the first time — said they have gained a deeper understanding of China through interactions with their Chinese peers and conversations with professionals. According to Hu Yongjun, an expert at the National Tourism Standardization Technical Committee, this trend indicates a recovery in people-to-people exchanges, driven by China’s goodwill gestures in encouraging student exchanges and welcoming foreign visitors.

STRENGTHENING BONDS

In late 2023, China announced a program to invite 50,000 American youths over the next five years to China for exchange and study. Consequently, more than 20 Muscatine High School students visited China from Jan. 24 to 30 this year, becoming the first group of American students to do so under the initiative. Earlier this month, nearly 200 teachers and students from over a dozen middle schools across the United States embarked on a summer tour to China at the invitation of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. During the trip lasting two weeks, the American teenagers visited sites like the ancient city walls of Beijing and West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province. They also listened to the Kuliangstory of China-U.S. friendship in Fuzhou in Fujian Province, and experienced the modernity of China by the Huangpu River in Shanghai.

Kainoa Shelburne Higgins, one of the teachers accompanying the students on their China tour, said that American and Chinese children can build bonds through such visits and better understand each other’s cultures, which will positively impact their lives even as adults. As this year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France, a group of French students began their China tour last weekend in Sichuan Province to explore the unique charm of traditional Chinese medicine. Other tours with specialized themes include a summer camp of around 70 American teachers and students from New York, San Francisco and other U.S. cities visiting the Flying Tigers museum in Kunming, Yunnan Province.

The Flying Tigers, officially known as the American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force, was formed in 1941 by U.S. General Claire Lee Chennault. They came to China to help Chinese people fight the invading Japanese troops. Ian L Bernstein, one of the American students, said the visit was truly inspiring. “It highlighted the courage and sacrifices of the Flying Tigers during WWII, showcasing their vital role in strengthening the bond between China and the United States. This experience really deepens my appreciation of the legacy,” he added.

FAVORABLE POLICIES

Hu attributed China’s recovering people-to-people exchanges to a series of favorable measures introduced since January this year. The measures include visa-free policies, relaxed visa application requirements and simplified visa procedures. Additionally, mobile payment for foreigners in China has been made more convenient. These initiatives aim to facilitate the entry of foreign nationals for business, education and tourism. This week, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced the expansion of China’s 144-hour visa-free transit policy to three more entry ports, taking the number of ports covered by the policy to 37.

China recorded 14.64 million inbound trips made by foreigners in the first half of this year, up 152.7 percent year on year, according to NIA data. The number of visa-free entries made by foreigners exceeded 8.54 million from January to June, accounting for 52 percent of the inbound trips and representing a year-on-year surge of 190.1 percent. The NIA said that immigration departments across the country recorded a surge of visa applications by Chinese students planning to travel overseas during the summer holiday. The immigration authorities extended their services to meet demands to the largest extent possible. “With an expanded ‘circle of friends,’ China’s exchanges with other countries in education and other sectors are set to become more frequent and wide-ranging,” Hu said. 

Xinhua