On November 22, 2023, the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) hosted the fourth session of the “CISS Youth Seeing the World” event. The “Telling China’s Stories Well” U.K. research team and the “New Voices in U.S.-China Relations: U.S. Research Team on U.S.-China Cultural Exchange” shared their experiences under the theme “Telling China’s Stories Well, Building Bridges for Cultural Exchange.” The event aimed to provide CISS Youth members and students from other universities who are interested in overseas research with opportunities to practice with insights into pre-trip preparation, itinerary planning, and research design. The event was moderated by Huang Ying, Secretary-General of the Fourth Cohort of CISS. Prof.Da Wei, Director of CISS; Ms.Liao Ying, Director of Center for Global Competence Development at Tsinghua University; and Dr.Shiyan, Assistant Researcher at CISS participated in the event.

The “Telling China’s Story Well” U.K. research delegation team first presented their findings from visits to media outlets such as the Financial Times, the Great Britain-China Centre, the House of Lords, and universities such as Oxford. Team representatives emphasized that the key to “telling China’s stories well” lies in enhancing the effectiveness of international communication through tailored strategies for different countries, expanding the role of people-to-people exchange, innovating storytelling approaches, and broadening communication channels by “inviting others to speak for China.” Based on street interviews with questions like “What three words come to mind when you think of China?”, “What news about China has left the deepest impression on you?” and “What symbol best represents China?” The team explored the potential for U.K.-China relations and effective directions for international communication. Ms.Shi Yan, the team’s advisor, noted that the research was conducted against the backdrop of three major new domestic and international trends. While the coverage was broad and the bilateral exchanges were fruitful, there were also issues of imbalance, and future efforts should aim to expand the scope of exchanges and move toward institutionalization.

Next, the “New Voices in U.S.-China Relations: U.S. Research Team on U.S.-China Cultural Exchange” shared their 11-day journey across the U.S., covering over 1,000 kilometers and seven cities, including Boston, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington. The team organized 30 roundtable discussions, visited six top U.S. universities, and engaged in in-depth exchanges with scholars from 10 think tanks, focusing on four main themes: education, media, think tanks, and culture. Team representatives highlighted that U.S.-China cultural exchanges have a long history, carrying both historical and contemporary significance. The deep friendship between the people of the two countries transcends generations, borders, and cultures. Institutionalized, small-scale, and soft-topic bilateral cultural exchanges will help ensure that “the friendship between the peoples of the U.S. and China grows as strong and enduring as the thousand-year-old cedar trees on Guling Mountain.” Prof.Da Wei, the team’s advisor, described the research as “unexpectedly extensive and in-depth,” a defining feature of the project, and expressed hope for future student-led research practices and U.S.-China cultural exchanges.

Finally, the Association of China-U.S. People-to-People Exchange was officially launched. The association aims to observe and understand U.S.-China relations and promote cultural exchanges between the two countries through practical actions. By strengthening exchanges with the CISS and CISS Youth, the association will host activities such as book clubs, lectures, micro-salon discussions, and research practices, striving to create a platform for students to learn about and participate in U.S.-China cultural exchanges. It seeks to contribute youthful energy to the stable development of U.S.-China relations. Ms.Liao Ying, Director of the Center for Global Competence Development at Tsinghua University, commended the students’ practical achievements and expressed anticipation for the association’s future activities.