A China-U.S. joint university, hailed by Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “landmark project” in bilateral educational cooperation, has been committed to promoting friendly exchanges between the young people of the two countries.

In May 2006, Wenzhou University in China’s Zhejiang Province and Kean University in the U.S. state of New Jersey formally signed an agreement to jointly establish Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU), under the care and facilitation of Xi, then secretary of the Communist Party of China Zhejiang Provincial Committee.

Since its official establishment in 2014, WKU has exchanged more than 1,700 students with Kean University, providing opportunities for young people from both sides to explore cultural differences, break down silos and foster bilateral friendship.

“Just to think about that there was nothing here 10 years ago, and there’s an entire campus now with these impressive buildings and beautiful surroundings. One of the beauties of this kind of joint university is that we can take the best of both China and the U.S. and work together to promote that. Working cooperatively, working with an open mind and an open heart, that’s what it’s all about. It’s to give our students the best education that we can,” said Cary Anderson, executive vice chancellor of WKU. In November 2023, during his visit to San Francisco, President Xi announced that China was prepared to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the following five years.

Inspired by the new initiative, Lamont Repollet, the president of Kean University, wrote to Xi in April 2024 as WKU celebrated the 10th anniversary of its establishment, expounding on what the university had accomplished over the past decade and what it means for U.S.-China cooperation in education.

In the letter, Repollet wrote, “I was greatly encouraged by your speech in San Francisco. I was particularly moved by your remarks about expanding exchanges between the people of China and the United States, especially the young generation. I very much agree with you that the hope of the China-U.S. relations lies in the people, especially our young people, whose mutual exchanges and learning will further deepen the friendship. The time spent at WKU and Kean University in the U.S. certainly proved this.”

To Repollet’s surprise, Xi replied and encouraged more exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and American universities.

Xi recalled that in 2006, he witnessed the signing ceremony of China-U.S. cooperation in establishing WKU. He said that the university has achieved remarkable results and become a landmark project in China-U.S. educational cooperation, calling the outcomes gratifying.

Pointing out that China-U.S. ties bear on the well-being of the people of the two countries as well as the future of humanity, Xi said that China-U.S. educational exchanges and cooperation, a project for the future of bilateral relations, help promote mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples, especially between youths.

He also called on the universities of China and the U.S. to strengthen exchanges and cooperation through various forms and cultivate young envoys who know both countries well, thereby building more bridges to promote China-U.S. friendship.

“I was very honored to receive it. We want to be the gold standard when it comes to Sino-American joint ventures in this country and also in the United States. And we want to be that bridge between both cultures and both countries,” said Repollet.

“The fact that President Xi took time out of his busy schedule to respond was just, again, such an honor for us. It’s been very motivating. We want to encourage more exchange with the U.S. and China. What I find is once students from the U.S. have been here, they want to learn more, they want to experience more of Chinese culture, they want to come back for a longer term,” said Anderson.

Rob Kim Marjerison, an associate professor with WKU’s College of Business and Public Management who has been studying Sino-American trade, said that through exchange programs that deepen mutual understanding and respect, Chinese and American students learn how to work together for the same goals.

“The students at Wenzhou-Kean University are very serious, hardworking, sincere students. And I have had many, many American students in the classroom with the Chinese students. When they interact, they talk together and they make friendships and get to know each other. As you can see, the Chinese students are growing, at the same time the American students, they’re growing,” said Marjerison.

Alessandro Di Leo, an undergraduate student at Kean University in the U.S., described his semester in China as one of “the greatest adventures” of his life.

“One of my favorite classes is my Chinese class. The professor will teach us about festivals, about customs, about history and the famous places in China. My learning, of course, has grown so much ever since I came here. I have such a better perspective of China. I’ve just had so many great experiences. I think when I go back to the U.S., I’m just going to take back all my wonderful memories, all my great experiences, and share with my family and friends,” said the student.

At WKU, Di Leo met Chinese student Zhu Xinkai. The two hit it off immediately, traveling together to Shanghai, Xi’an and other Chinese cities, and they kept in touch after Di Leo returned to the U.S.

Zhu said that he appreciates the opportunities to show his American friend the profound culture and magnificent scenery of China and welcomes more U.S. people to experience the true China first-hand.

“I am also very much looking forward to welcoming every American friend who comes to China, to this land, to see what the country and the people are really like. I hope that China and the United States can develop a deeper friendship,” said Zhu.

Joint university builds bridge of friendship between Chinese, American youths

Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell has reaffirmed his country’s unwavering commitment to the one-China principle, calling it a practical principle that stands on the right side of history.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic ties between China and Grenada, Mitchell paid an official visit to China from January 11 to 17, at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang. During his stay in Beijing, the prime minister sat down for an exclusive interview with China Central Television (CCTV), where he reiterated Grenada’s support for the one-China principle, which has been the cornerstone of the two nations’ bilateral relationship.

Asked about his stance on the principle, Mitchell said: “We’ve been both in deed and in words supporting and advocating for the one-China principle.”

The prime minister stressed that the one-China principle is not only in line with global political and diplomatic trends but also a practical and viable one. He also pointed to China’s “one country, two systems” policy, citing Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions as successful examples of its application.

“And I think the one-China principle is on the right side of history. It’s on the right side of the obvious political and diplomatic trend that has taken place over the last several decades. And I think particularly from a historical perspective, but also from a practical and modern example, China has clearly demonstrated its ‘one [country], two systems’ principle at work. You have Hong Kong, you have Macao as clear examples,” said the prime minister.

“So it’s not a theoretical principle. It’s a practical principle that I think the world can judge by itself. There are countries within our hemisphere that do not currently subscribe to that principle. But we believe with time, with peaceful dialogue, with discussions, that the opportunities will come for them to revisit it,” he said.

One-China principle on the right side of history: Grenadian PM