Citizen diplomacy

"China does everything faster. I mean you build cities in a blink. You build rail lines. You build roads," Hughes said. "We have to catch up and speed up, but we can do those together and I think that powerful example will spread." Proficiency in language and culture is key for mutual understanding.

For decades, studying English has been a part of curricula for Chinese students nationwide. Nowadays more students in the United States are studying Chinese as a second language.

Diedre Neal, principal of Alice Deal Middle School in northern Washington DC, told Lin that the number of students studying Chinese at the school has more than doubled from 10 years ago, stressing that parents and the city's educational authorities are "supportive" of the courses.

Nakeitha Anyamele-Latney, a US federal government employee who has been learning Chinese since she was a teenager, told Xinhua during the Beijing Day event that her interest in Chinese culture and language originated from her crush on hanzi, or Chinese characters.

"I looked at it as art and so just going deeper and deeper into it and realizing where it comes from made me want to explore the Chinese culture," Anyamele-Latney said.

Asked if she wants to play a role in forging closer ties between China and the United States? "Absolutely. If there's any opportunity for me to bridge that, I would be glad to help."