STORY: Chinese Embassy in U.S. hosts Spring Festival gala for Chinese, American youths
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 11, 2025
DATELINE: Jan. 14, 2025
LENGTH: 00:02:59
LOCATION: Washington D.C.
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): XIE FENG, Chinese Ambassador to the United States
2. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): XIE FENG, Chinese Ambassador to the United States
3. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): XIE FENG, Chinese Ambassador to the United States
4. various of the event

STORYLINE:

The Chinese Embassy in the United States recently hosted the 2025 Spring Festival Gala for Chinese and American Youths, with over 500 young students from both countries and members of the American education community in attendance.

At the event, Chinese and U.S. youths jointly presented a series of wonderful cultural performances. The show kicked off with the song "Lights of China," followed by a captivating piano ensemble, graceful traditional dances, and a lively, spirited chorus that performed two songs to bring the evening to a close.

The youths from both countries also participated in activities such as making sugar paintings, making dumplings, practicing calligraphy, and wearing Hanfu -- a traditional Chinese garment, experiencing the unique charm of the Chinese New Year.

Caroline Faircloth, a member of the American education community who participated in the activities, told Xinhua that what impressed her the most was the "kuaiban" -- a traditional Chinese performance art that combines rhythmic clapping with storytelling. She found it challenging to make the bamboo clappers move skillfully in her hand and produce rhythmic sounds, but it was great fun.

Faircloth's main work involves strengthening international exchanges at schools in Washington, D.C. She said she was very pleased to see students from several Washington schools attending the event, where they learned a wide range of Chinese cultural knowledge that is very helpful for opening up their eyes and understanding the world.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): XIE FENG, Chinese Ambassador to the United States
"Over the past year, under the guidance of the two heads of state, the San Francisco vision has been gradually turned into reality. The youths of our two countries have moved forward hand in hand, and made their unique contributions to stabilizing and improving bilateral relations. Our youths have actively reached out to each other, and striven to be pioneers in developing a right perception toward one another."

Nearly 15,000 American youths from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. visited China under the initiative, outperforming the annual target, Xie said.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): XIE FENG, Chinese Ambassador to the United States
"We hope to establish a new vision for China-U.S. relations. The current stabilizing momentum has not come easily, and both sides need to work in the same direction for a stable relationship in the future. At this new historical starting point, we hope the U.S. side will make the right choice, maintain dialogue, expand cooperation and manage differences, so as to move China-U.S. relations forward along the track of stable, sound and sustainable development. I encourage our young friends to view each other's development with a more open and inclusive mind, deepen exchanges and cooperation in a more innovative way, and jointly address new challenges like AI and climate change, so as to help find a right way for China and the United States to get along in the new era."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): XIE FENG, Chinese Ambassador to the United States
"I invite more young Americans to be part of the '50,000 in five years' initiative, enhance people-to-people exchanges, and carry forward the goodwill between our two peoples."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Washington D.C.
(XHTV)