American residents have expressed their desire for warmer relations and closer people-to-people exchanges between the United States and China, pointing to the potential cultural and commercial benefits to both sides.
Ties between the two sides have been in the spotlight this week as U.S. President Donald Trump embarked on a three-day state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking the first such trip by a U.S. president in nine years.
In a series of street interviews with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) in New York City, residents emphasized their hope for improved relations at both an individual and national level.
"I personally absolutely would love to be friends with Chinese people. And I wish that there was less tension between the United States of America and China," said Nick Barnes, a retail worker.
Despite the differences that still exist in areas such as trade, many Americans continue to express optimism that deeper understanding between the world's two largest economies will deliver mutual benefits.
"I think it would be extremely helpful if we were all friends together. From China, there was a long period of time until about six or seven years ago when there was a lot of exchange between the U.S. and China. A lot of people going back and forth, a lot of commerce going back and forth. So I think having better relations on an individual basis would be extremely helpful," said a retired resident.
Another young resident who said he visited China as a high school student shared fond memories of his trip and hopes others will get to experience the country for themselves.
"I was like for a school trip because I was taking Mandarin in high school. I would want to go back. I think Beijing was really cool. I think Hunan was also really cool as well. I remember going to like some art festival or something like their arts district and I enjoyed it. I really like the culture and learning about it for a while was really cool," said Nathan Alvin, a digital creator.
US residents voice hope of building stronger friendships with China
