Chinese, U.S. students plant roots of friendship, understanding

Teenagers from Iowa form strong bonds, experience local culture on exchange trip

More than a month ago, high school students from China and Iowa in the United States' Midwest inaugurated and planted the first batch of trees for the China-U.S. Friendship Youth Woods in Hebei province's Zhengding county, where President Xi Jinping worked as a senior local official from 1982 to 1985.

Zhou Yitian, a senior high student from Shijiazhuang Foreign Language School, planted a tree with her new friend, Grace Zorich from Muscatine High School.

"This is the first time I've planted a tree as big (as this), but I planted a tree before… a very little, little one," said Zorich. Her horticultural skills, including her proficiency with a shovel, impressed her Chinese teenage peers.

Zhou said: "I hope the tree grows robustly alongside our friendship. Of course, I'll be back someday to revisit these trees."

The woods, which feature species such as the North American red maple, are lush and thriving, and are expected to welcome more U.S. students.

In San Francisco last November, President Xi proposed an ambitious program to invite a total of 50,000 American youths to visit China for exchanges over the next five years.

Hebei and Iowa are natural choices for boosting subnational bonds as they have enjoyed a sister relationship since 1983 and have had ongoing exchanges in the agricultural sector.

Two delegations from Muscatine High School have traveled to China and Hebei this year. The second delegation of 32 students and eight teachers stayed in Hebei from April 19 to 22 at the invitation of the Shijiazhuang Foreign Language School, one of the leading middle schools in the province.

It was the first time any of the U.S. high school students had visited the country beyond the Pacific Ocean. They arrived in Beijing first, and then traveled to Hebei before heading to Shanghai to end the tour.

During the trip, students from both countries, such as Zhou and Zorich, were paired together.