Nearly 200 young musicians from China and the United States gathered in Beijing on Saturday to launch the 2025 China-U.S. Youth Marching Band Tour Show, marking a new chapter in bilateral cultural exchange.

Using music as a bridge, the event brought together students from both nations in a shared celebration of friendship and mutual understanding. In a spectacular joint performance, American and Chinese youth worked side by side to interpret classic tunes from both cultures, demonstrating how music can transcend borders, languages, and differences.
"We are so happy to be here, and we are so happy to interact with Chinese students, with all the people our age," said an American student.
"It is such a great opportunity to come to China and have the ability to do this. I'm so excited. I'm even shaking," said another American student.
"The students played 'Auld Lang Syne' together -- I think it's such a great way to show how music connects us and builds friendship between Chinese and American youth," said Zhao Sainan, a Chinese music teacher.
The week-long event is part of an initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2023 to invite 50,000 young Americans to China over the next five years. Through exchanges such as this, young people from both countries are forging lasting friendships and writing a new chapter in China-U.S. cultural exchange.