Internal working platform of Yunnan Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

"The beauty of Kunming is beyond imagination" "I am very happy to see a more real and three-dimensional China" "Everyone I met is so warm and friendly" "The food in Yunnan is so delicious"... On the bus, a group of American students Everyone rushed to share their impressions of Yunnan, and there was constant laughter.

From March 17th to 23rd, at the invitation of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the China-US Exchange Foundation organized a delegation of young students from Johns Hopkins University to visit Beijing and Kunming.This is one of the first student delegations from the university to visit China after President Xi Jinping announced in November last year that "China is willing to invite 50,000 American teenagers to come to China for exchange and study in the next five years."

On the morning of the 21st, students from Johns Hopkins University walked into the Donglu Campus of Yunnan University and had in-depth exchanges with teachers and students of Yunnan University.During the more than two hours of symposium, the two sides discussed more than ten issues of mutual interest.

"Yunnan is an important window for China to open up to Southeast Asia and other regions. This discussion gave us a deeper understanding of Yunnan's provincial conditions and China's opening to the outside world." Mathilde Bache said, American Youth The next generation needs to experience China more closely in order to better understand China.

She said: "I hope that exchanges between young people in the United States and China will continue to increase. China has proposed that it is willing to invite 50,000 American youths to come to China for exchange and study in the next five years. This is a good start."

Zhu Wenqing, a doctoral candidate at Yunnan University who participated in the forum, said that this was a fruitful academic exchange for both parties, and that the academic views and research perspectives of American students also inspired her a lot.

"I hope our exchanges can become 'seeds' that will continue to take root and sprout in the future," Zhu Wenqing said.

The Flying Tigers Memorial Hall in the Kunming Municipal Museum is a special stop for the students during their trip.

During World War II, a group of young American pilots, led by General Chennault, rushed to the Chinese battlefield and formed the famous Flying Tigers. They fought with the Chinese people against the invaders and wrote the touching "Flying Tigers Friendship" between the Chinese and American people.

In the memorial hall, old photos and old objects bring students' thoughts back to the war-torn era.Among them, there was a special exhibit that attracted the attention of many students - it was a blood charm for help written in 17 languages, which was carried by members of the Flying Tigers who flew the Hump Route.

One student couldn't help but sigh: "Maybe the war has been so far away from us that we occasionally forget how cruel it is. But we should not forget the war, nor how we once fought side by side."

"In times of war, cooperation between the United States and China is achievable; in times of peace, we should work together more." Angelica Patino said that she had heard the story of the Flying Tigers before, and when she When China once again understood this period of history in depth, its inner feelings became much deeper.

The spring equinox has just passed, and the feeling of spring in Spring City has become even stronger.

In just a few days, the students had a full schedule: at the small fishing village of Niulian, they had a close look at the new face of China's rural revitalization; at the China Railway Joint Construction Kunming Central Station, they watched the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" continue to achieve new developments ; Visited Yunnan Energy Investment Group Co., Ltd. and other enterprises to learn about the new situation of Yunnan’s foreign investment development...

"These days in Yunnan have given me a richer and more three-dimensional understanding of China." Patino said that before coming to Yunnan, they visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce and other departments in Beijing, and now they are able to go deep into the local Provincial enterprises, villages, etc., "all of these make up a more real China."

David Boorman is the teacher leading this young student delegation. He has studied and lived in China for many years and has also been hiking in Yunnan.

Now, Boorman, who has become an assistant professor, brought his students to Yunnan again. While feeling emotional about China's rapid development, he said: "I hope that students can see more aspects of China, and I fully believe that They saw it."