Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 10 — On January 4, President Xi Jinping replied to a letter from Sarah Lande, a friend in Iowa, the United States.

　　Xi Jinping noted that over the 45 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, the bilateral relationship has weathered storms and grown into a towering tree bearing fruits of cooperation, benefiting both countries and the world. The achievements in China-US relations are first and foremost attributable to the joint efforts of the two peoples; for China-US relations to continue moving forward, it is all the more necessary to rely on the two peoples.

　　Xi Jinping stressed that the future of China-US relations lies with the youth. The Chinese often say: read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles. By announcing that China will invite 50,000 American teenagers to China for exchange and study over the next five years, I hope that more American young people will be able to visit China, observe China with their own eyes, listen to China with their own ears, and measure China with their own footsteps, so as to experience a real, three-dimensional and comprehensive China and build more bridges of mutual understanding and affinity between the two peoples. I welcome students from Muscatine to participate in this program.

　　Xi Jinping stressed that China and the United States are the world's largest developing country and largest developed country, and the future and destiny of this planet require China-US relations to be stable and sound. China is willing to work with the United States to promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US relations, seek more well-being for the two peoples, provide more public goods to the international community, and jointly build a world of lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness and inclusiveness, and clean and beautiful.

　　Recently, Sarah Lande, a friend in Iowa, the United States, wrote to President Xi Jinping, saying that President Xi's speech at the welcome banquet jointly held by friendly organizations in the United States was widely welcomed and inspiring, and that the invitation for 50,000 American teenagers to visit China for exchange and study over the next five years is exciting, and she hopes that Muscatine High School can also participate in this plan. As major countries, the United States and China should join hands to address issues including climate change, food security, drugs and regional conflicts, for the benefit of human society.