To continue the 27-year Friendship, Students from America Visit China Again!

On the afternoon of October 23, the BPAFFC welcomed a batch of vigorous guests. Headed by the principal Rodger Ababi, the delegation from Park City High School of Utah arrived.

The delegation, at the invitation of the BPAFFC, attended the 14th round of the China-America High School Students Exchange Activity. Starting from 1993, the project, co-sponsored by the BPAFFC and the US-China Peoples Friendship Association Utah Chapter, attended by Beijing No. 4 High School and Park City High School of Utah, after 27 years of development, has become the representative traditional project of China-US Youth Exchange in Beijing. As a leading school in Utah, Park City High School enjoys reputation in American education system and is the first high school that opens Chinese course and includes it into credit courses. The project organizes one round of exchange visit every two years. Each round is participated by different students and teachers from China and the US. Thirteen rounds of exchange visits have now been completed. This visit to China marks the initiation of the 14th round of exchange visit.

Zhang Qian, executive vice president of the BPAFFC, expressed warm welcome to the visit of the delegation. She stated that since the launch of the activity in 1993, the project of China-America High School Students Exchange has developed for 27 years. She was glad to see that the project has become the model for exchanges between young people from both countries and made active contribution to the enhancement of friendship between the two peoples. On behalf of the BPAFFC, she expressed heartfelt thanks to the devotion and protection of the Utah Association of Sino-American Friendship Association, Park City High School and Beijing No. 4 High School. She encouraged the students to travel more and have a broader view on the development of Beijing and other regions and make more Chinese friends, so as to serve as the bridge and envoy for the exchange and cooperation between young people of the two countries.

Principal Rodger Ababi thanked the BPAFFC for the considerate arrangement. He introduced that most of the students in the delegation came to China for the first time, and they were curious and enthusiastic about their visit in Beijing. He believed that this visit can not only directly present the students with the development of China, but also carry forward the friendship between Beijing and Park City, between Beijing No. 4 High School and Park City High School.

Two days earlier, this group of American students visited Tian’anmen Square, toured Jinshanling Great Wall cast by early-autumn scenes, the Summer Palace, as well as the campus and school history museum of No. 4 High School. They went to classes, dined and lived with students of No. 4 High School.

Within just a few days, they experienced Chinese culture and Beijing charm, and had in-depth exchange with students from No. 4 High School in the diversified trip. The specific activities include regular class, extra-curricular activities, dumplings making, Tai Chi practicing, future ideals exchanges, and daily life chatting, and thus developing deep friendship with Chinese students.

For the past 27 years, the project of China-America High School Students Exchange has promoted the understanding and friendship between the young people of two countries in an unconscious way. It eliminated the prejudice of American young people on China exerted by the western media. Through concerted efforts, the number of high school students participating in the exchange has reached nearly 300.