Chinese President Xi Jinping used his state visit to the United States to announce that China will invite 100,000 young Americans to China for exchanges and study over the next five years. The initiative was illustrated by the experiences of Marlon Forrester, a Harvard professor, and Joey Zhang, a Columbia University student, who were among nearly 100 students from 10 US universities participating in youth exchanges in China. After writing to Xi, they received a reply on the eve of his visit and said the engagement made them feel part of a new generation sustaining China-US exchanges. The visit also highlighted frequent 2026 interactions between Xi and US President Donald Trump, including a February phone call and Trump’s visit to China three months later, when the leaders spent nearly nine hours together and agreed to pursue a constructive China-US relationship based on strategic stability. Economic ties remain significant: as of July 2026, US companies had established more than 84,000 foreign-invested enterprises in China, while their investment rose 7.8% year on year in the first half of 2026. A US-China Business Council survey found that 95% of 175 US companies considered their China operations vital to global competitiveness. The article frames cooperation as important beyond the bilateral relationship, particularly in trade, investment, artificial intelligence, counternarcotics, law enforcement and direct flights. A CGTN survey across 39 countries found that 75% of respondents, including 78.3% in developing nations, considered stable China-US relations vital to the international community. With China hosting the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and the US hosting the G20 Summit in 2026, global attention will focus on whether the two leaders sustain communication and expand cooperation.