WASHINGTON/BEIJING -- "We are extremely honored to receive a response from President Xi," said Jeffrey Sullivan, head of the US youth pickleball cultural exchange delegation from Montgomery county, Maryland.

Chinese President Xi Jinping recently replied to the delegation's letter, congratulating them on their successful visit to China. In April, Sullivan led a group of 44 teachers and students from 13 US schools to China under Xi's "50,000 in Five Years" initiative, which aims to bring 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programs in a five-year span.

After visiting Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing, the delegation sent a letter to Xi, expressing their gratitude for the initiative, noting they had forged unforgettable friendships with Chinese youths during the trip.

In his reply, Xi said he was pleased to see that pickleball has become a new bond for youth exchanges between China and the United States. The future of China-US relations depends on the youth, said Xi, expressing the hope that the delegation members will become a new generation of ambassadors for friendship between the two countries and make greater contributions to enhancing the friendship between the two peoples.

A TRANSFORMATIVE JOURNEY

"Thank you again for your vision and commitment to providing opportunities for our students and our countries to come together and build friendships, relationships and cultural learning opportunities," the delegation wrote in the letter to Xi.

Hailing the trip as life-changing, Sullivan said it enabled his delegation to immerse themselves in the Chinese culture and experience interpersonal relationships.

"That was made possible because of the hospitality of the Chinese people, who opened their doors to us, who served us wonderful food, who had wonderful performances showcasing the culture and traditions of China," he said, adding, "It (the visit) would be something that we would take with us forever."

Echoing Sullivan, Wang Pengfei, one of the initiators of the tour, said, "We want young Americans to see today's China for themselves."

"Every high-five on the court, every hands-on experience in traditional craft workshops and every visit to a high-tech company is reshaping how they perceive China's development," said Wang.

For student Isabella Brant, celebrating her birthday in China was the most memorable part of the trip. She recalled playing pickleball with her Chinese partners on that day, receiving flowers, but more importantly, gaining friendship.

"Definitely life-changing!" said Brant, adding, "I was a little nervous to go over to China, but it definitely changed my perspective on things and how I viewed everything."

NEW BONDS

"It was an amazing trip for our students to build friendships through sport," Sullivan said, adding that the exchange between American and Chinese youths during this tour is "not just on the pickleball court, but also off the court."

Pickleball, a paddle sport that originated in the United States that blends elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis, is easy to pick up for beginners and has rapidly gained popularity in China.

According to Sullivan, Montgomery is the first US school district to offer pickleball as a varsity sport, as this activity is fully inclusive and continues to bring people of all ability levels together.

The Montgomery County public schools have now begun cooperation with Shenzhen Nanshan District Education Bureau, education groups of Beijing Middle School and Beijing No 10 Middle School to establish long-term partnerships, with pickleball included as a key area of exchange.

"I witnessed firsthand how the power of sports can transcend borders and bring people from different cultural backgrounds closer together," said Xie Yuan, a student from Wenhua School in Shenzhen who took part in the event.

Speaking of the friends she made during the tour, Ella Geary, a student from the delegation, said, "I find it amazing that you can just instantly bond with someone who lives on the other side of the globe."

Echoing Geary, Sullivan's daughter, Reagan Sullivan, also a student from the delegation, depicted the bonds they built as "amazing and unbreakable."

Pickleball has become a new bond for building friendships, she said.

PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE FRIENDSHIP

In April 1971, a 15-member US table tennis delegation took a historic trip to China, becoming the first delegation of Americans to visit China in decades.

Recalling the China-US "Ping-Pong Diplomacy" 54 years ago, Sullivan said that sports have a unique power to bring people together.

Beyond discovering China's cultural charm and technological innovation, many students played Ping-Pong for the first time. Sullivan said a visit to the China Table Tennis Museum gave them deeper insight into the history of "Ping-Pong Diplomacy," which once helped bridge US-China relations.

Upon hearing Xi's reply, Stephen Mull, former US acting undersecretary of state for political affairs, emphasized the unifying power of sports.

"It encourages each participant to be the very best version of himself or herself while underscoring the common humanity that binds us all together on the field of play," he explained.

"Pickleball has served as a unique and joyful bridge between our two cultures, one that allowed for connection, mutual respect and shared learning. Like your vision, we believe that sports engagement is essential in building the foundation for lasting international friendship," the delegation wrote in the letter to Xi.

The vision refers to Xi's "50,000 in Five Years" initiative, launched in November 2023. Nearly 15,000 American youth visited China by the end of 2024 under the initiative, observing China with their own eyes and traveling the expanse of the country on their own feet.

"If I had the opportunity, I would definitely go back," said Joel Geary, a student from the delegation.

"We are all part of the '50,000 in Five Years' initiative," said Sun Yuyan, a student who participated in the event from Shanghai Luwan High School, adding, "The future of China-US relations should be a shared future shaped by our generation, one that lives up to the promise of our youth."

"I would love to organize additional exchanges and opportunities, whether it's through pickleball or other sports, using them as a platform to bring people together," said Sullivan.