'My China Album' interviewees anticipate new stories

Their stories feature in My China Album, a book published by Tsinghua University Press in collaboration with China Daily. They have dedicated years to promoting understanding and friendship between the United States and China and as US President Donald Trump wrapped up his state visit to China on Friday, they voiced their optimism about the future of the relationship between the two countries.

Charles Foster, vice-chairman of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for US-China Relations, described Trump's visit to China as "extremely positive".

"Often the message out of Washington has been mixed at best, but I believe this visit reflects in the words of former president George H.W. Bush that China has been and will be our most important bilateral relationship," Foster said. "It's always beneficial when the leaders of both countries engage in productive dialogue rather than just sloganeering."

Foster said that this visit signals a desire on the part of the US for a much more productive and mature relationship with China, "where we can have honest and productive dialogue on a continuing basis, dealing with major issues for each country".

Trump brought with him an extraordinarily large delegation, comprising figures from his administration and major US businesses, and that is "significant", said Foster.

"They will return home with a much greater appreciation of the significant changes that have occurred in China since the first visit of president Richard Nixon."

Stating that "a picture is worth a thousand words", he said an impression formed from a personal visit will be "mutually beneficial in ensuring longer and more durable US-China relations".

Hope for future

Benjamin Renton, a research associate at Brown University School of Public Health in Rhode Island, said that the summit in Beijing feels really timely and gives him more hope for the future.

"For those of us who care about the relationship, it's encouraging to see the two leaders sitting down and talking. It sends a positive signal for people-to-people exchanges," Renton said.

He added that he hopes this meeting helps keep things moving in a good direction. "Chinese and American people actually share a lot in common. We both work hard, love our families, and want a better life. It's good that the leaders highlighted these similarities."

Renton said he would like to see more concrete support for student exchange programs and study-abroad opportunities as a result of the summit. "Right now the numbers are still low, and getting more young Americans to go to China would make a big difference," he said.

Kayla Raden, a high school biology teacher from New Jersey, felt "optimistic" that the two countries are finding solutions to improve the world. "It is imperative that our two nations reach an agreement and find ways to sustainably maintain good relations. Our futures are intertwined as we depend on one another for economic prosperity," Raden said.

Raden, a Chinese language lover, said she feels a closeness to the country whenever she studies Chinese.

"It is my opinion that if more Americans studied Chinese, many of the misunderstandings between our two nations wouldn't seem so insurmountable," she said. "I do believe that language and cultural exchanges build a strong foundation for understanding one another."

Jeffrey Greene, chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, said he's "happy" to have seen the summit take place.

"Seeing the two presidents together, there seemed to be a lot of sincerity between the two men," he said. "There seemed to be a lot of interest, and that is so important."

Greene said it's important for the two largest economies in the world to cooperate. "What we saw in Beijing is a good step in a good direction to show that and demonstrate that."

Ren Ming, professor at several California-based art institutions and a pioneer in US-China art exchange, said he followed the summit with great interest and the summit reflected a genuine willingness on both sides to engage.

He advocated for more people-to-people exchanges. "That kind of connection can make a lasting contribution to the development of human civilization, to international peace, and to a more harmonious world for us all," said Ren.

Bill Einreinhofer, an Emmy Award-winning film producer, said that people-to-people diplomacy is essential now, more than ever.

"It is important that the two countries have more to discuss than just their differences. They also need to explore what they have in common," he said. "Often that takes place outside of the glare of intense media coverage. It takes place person-to-person."

Initiated in 2019 by the Chinese embassy and consulates in the US, and in collaboration with China Daily, the "My China Album" project is now in its seventh year and continues to focus on the journeys of Americans in China, emphasizing the strength of grassroots connections.

Yifan Xu in Washington, Chang Jun in San Francisco, Mingmei Li and Minlu Zhang in New York contributed to this story.

mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com