Chinese President Xi Jinping recently replied to a letter from students at 10 US universities who shared their thoughts and experiences after attending youth exchange program in China earlier this month. He expressed hope that the students would join the vast number of young people in both countries in striving to carry forward, uphold, and advance China-US friendly cooperation. His encouragement has inspired the youth across the Pacific Ocean.
Bradley Max Friedman is an American student in the 2025 cohort of Master of China Studies (MCS) program. He came to China for further studies after getting his bachelor’s degree in political science and international affairs at Northeastern University. His decision was straightforward; he said he aspired to serve as a bridge between young people on both sides, fueled by his concern for China-US relations.
In Haining: Out of the Classroom to Embrace Life
For Bradley Max Friedman, it is engagement with real life, rather than data or reports, that has shaped his understanding of China.
The MCS program’s field survey on Chinese society took him beyond the campus to cities and rural communities across Zhejiang, where he gained firsthand insights into grassroots changes. In December 2025, he joined other volunteers in the “Hand in Hand with the Golden Years, Warmth in Heart for the Elderly” outreach at Yihe Jiayuan South Zone Community in Haining. He also did similar voluntary work at local primary schools, leading children in English games.
These seemingly ordinary moments brought the international student unique benefits no textbook can provide. He noted that the vivid stories shared by local seniors are far more impressive than rigid textbook narratives.
In Shanghai: Adopting a Different Lens to Discover China
In summer 2026, Bradley Max Friedman completed a three-month internship at AmCham Shanghai, where he undertook a suite of research, editorial and event-support tasks, covering weekly news briefings, policy tracking for foreign-invested enterprises, ranging from economic policy, trade and regulation to AI. His tasks also covered editorial work for member-company submissions and support for the annual China Business Report. Besides, he authored a feature article for AmCham Shanghai Quarterly on AI applications and public attitudes toward the technology in China and the US, and attended industry events to compile meeting minutes.
Among these assignments, his work on the report proved especially illuminating. It draws on feedback from hundreds of US-affiliated companies, including many large multinationals. This precisely gave him a clear view of how foreign-invested firms assess China’s business environment. He realized that the policies he studied would ultimately shape regions far beyond Shanghai.
Two Cities, Two Perspectives
We may then wonder what Shanghai has given to Friedman. As he puts it, Shanghai is exceptional in its global vitality, yet its international commercial circle can sometimes be at a remove from the broader rest of China.
Haining, in turn, offers him different experience.
To him, firms under the chamber of commerce operate across provinces, covering manufacturing hubs, tech clusters and rural communities, so the tracked policies impact more people outside Shanghai. He added China cannot be understood through one city, especially as distinctive as Shanghai.
His understanding draws from academic knowledge and daily observation. The two types of insights enrich and inspire each other, making his views on China and China-US commercial ties more tangible and holistic.
One Story, One Chorus
On the evening of May 21, 2026, during Zhejiang University’s 129th anniversary alumni homecoming events, Friedman read the Announcement of Zhejiang University’s 130th Anniversary Celebration on behalf of international students on stage, alongside Academician ZHANG Ze, Professor ZHENG Chunyan, and student LIn Yejingyi. When he read “There’s a national university standing by River Qiantang, a time-honored institution with an enduring tradition of learning”, he was overwhelmed by the pride and sense of responsibility shared by all members of Zhejiang University.
Seen in a broader context, Friedman’s experience may take on a clearer meaning. During the 30th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in San Francisco in November 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced an ambitious initiative to host 50,000 US students for study and exchange programs in China over the next five years. As of May 2026, 50,000-odd US students visited China, which met the target two and a half years ahead of schedule. On September 24, 2026, in his remarks at the arrival ceremony at the White House, President Xi Jinping announced that China would invite 100,000 young Americans to visit China for exchanges and study in the coming five years. To quote Xi’s words, “The China-US relationship lies in our people, and its future lies with the youth”. He expressed the hope that a growing number of American youth will come to China for study and exchange programs, which will help them get an accurate, multidimensional and panoramic image of China.
Friedman is one of many international students at Zhejiang University who gained unique insights into China from studying and interning in China, which will shape his view of China and China-US relations. Going forward, the university will continue to cultivate young global talents that understand China, hold friendly attitudes toward China, and promote cultural dialogues with the power of youth.
(Photos | Official WeChat Account of China Studies Center, Zhejiang University; Text: XIONG Weiwei; based on previous interviews; Editor-in-Chief: LI Yinan; Reviewer: YANG Yi; Final Reviewer: QU Haidong)