Youth, culture key to Sino-US relations

Emphasizing the importance of sustained people-to-people interactions for fostering positive China-US relations, Carol Robertson Lopez, chair emeritus of Sister Cities International of the United States, called for increased youth and cultural exchanges between the two nations.

Lopez's first visit to China was in 2009 with the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, or CPAFFC.

"During a two-week tour, we traveled extensively and witnessed the country's incredible diversity and beauty. It truly opened my eyes to what a beautiful country China is," she recalled.