"Our team is really busy because we are hosting more groups this year," she said. "Spots for a recent trip involving about 160 Harvard students sold out in less than a minute."

　　Wang said students who visit China often return home and encourage people around them to experience the country for themselves. The message they pass on to their friends and family is simple: "You have to go."

　　The growing number of youth exchange programs shows that China"s rapid development, particularly in emerging technologies, has drawn greater attention from young people, driving a rising interest in the country, she noted.

　　More opportunities created by the initiative, along with more convenient travel policies, have made it easier for students to visit China.

　　Many programs are now driven less by marketing than by recommendations within close-knit student networks, she said.

　　LEGACY OF PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE TIES

　　History has shown that time and again, individuals on both sides have reached out to one another and helped put bilateral ties back on track during challenging periods.

　　More than half a century ago, a small table tennis ball paved the way for the normalization of China-U.S. relations. This year marks the 55th anniversary of Ping-Pong Diplomacy, and a series of commemorative events have been held across the Pacific to carry on the spirit.

　　Judy Hoarfrost, the youngest member of the U.S. table tennis delegation to China back in April 1971, returned to China to attend a commemoration ceremony in April this year and then led a U.S. pickleball delegation to China in May.

　　"Fifty-five years ago, that trip to China changed my life," said Hoarfrost, who is 70. Now, seeing young people from the two countries playing and laughing side by side on the court, she said any relationship is built on friendship and trust.