While marking the arrival of 2025, students and teachers in the US state of Washington received a precious gift — a New Year card addressed to them with a message from President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan.

Lynn Eisenhauer, a music teacher at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Washington, said it is always a special experience to receive a message from President Xi, and they are glad to know that Xi and his wife received their latest greetings of good wishes.

In mid-December, Eisenhauer joined students and teachers from local schools, as well as the US-China Youth and Student Exchange Association in Washington state, to send a New Year greeting card to President Xi and his wife, as well as the Chinese people.

More than 100 teachers and students signed the card, on which was written in Chinese: "Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the 80th anniversary of (the end of) the World Anti-Fascist War. Embracing the New Year, long live peace, and may China-US friendship last forever."

David Chong, president of the US-China Youth and Student Exchange Association, said that "due to limited space, many friends couldn't fit their names on the card".

He added that the reason the card mentioned the upcoming 80th anniversary of the victories in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War was because "we want the Chinese friends to know that the American people have not forgotten the history of the two nations fighting side by side".

In the response card from the Chinese president, Xi and Peng said that during World War II, China and the United States fought together for peace and justice, and the friendship between the two peoples stood the test of blood and fire and is growing even stronger.

Ella Martino, a student at Stadium High School in Tacoma, said: "Signing the greeting card for President Xi was an incredible honor and achievement. I, as an American student, want to express my gratitude for the friendship between America and China. I also wish for the longevity of peace between China and America."

Brian Suy, a student at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, said of the World War II era: "I am familiar with this period of history and I believe that it is important for students to learn. I believe that this period of history should serve as a reminder for American and Chinese citizens that their countries can work together well, despite how different their cultures and politics are. I am willing to be a successor to keep the relations of the people of China and America strong and close."

William Felagai, a student from Lincoln High School in Tacoma, said he "was very thankful and felt very lucky" to receive such a gift as a token of appreciation, and he also knows a little bit about that period of history.

"I attended a trip to Washington, DC, and was able to hear about the Sino-US friendship from a Flying Tigers veteran himself. He talked about how US soldiers and pilots found refuge in Chinese villagers who were willing to risk not only themselves and their families' lives but their whole village from destruction by the Japanese military," Felagai said.

Maryn Sage, assistant principal of Stadium High School, said that this history and President Xi's reference to the Sino-US friendship being "tested by blood and fire" during World War II refers to the cooperation between China and the US as they fought a common enemy, despite their different political systems. 

"We believe that friendship is a way to foster mutual understanding and trust, reducing the likelihood of conflicts by promoting dialogue and cooperation," Sage said.

In the card, Xi and Peng also extended their New Year wishes and expressed their hope that the young people of both countries will continue to participate in China's initiative of inviting 50,000 young people from the US over the course of five years to visit China for exchange and study programs, strengthen exchanges and interactions, enhance mutual understanding and carry forward the traditional friendship.

Xi announced the initiative during his meeting with US President Joe Biden in San Francisco in 2023. 

Shannon Marshall, principal of Stadium High School, said that she accompanied 10 students to China in July last year, and in September, the school sent 12 students and an assistant principal.

"We would love to send more students in 2025 and are so thankful for the opportunities," Marshall added. "My group of 10 students who traveled to China in July recently met to reconnect and reminisce. The students spoke about the Chinese students they met and who they are still in contact with via WeChat. This experience has created long-lasting friendships between American students and Chinese students and bonded our American students together because they experienced a new culture together."

Martino was among the 12 Stadium students who went to China for a two-week trip last year. She said she will never forget the people she met in China and the incredible impact they had on her life.

"I was most impressed by the hospitality I felt from the Chinese people I met. I made many Chinese friends. ... If I ever visit China again in the future, I wish to see my friends again and see the places that they care about the most," she said.

Eisenhauer accompanied three groups of students from Lincoln High School on trips to China last year, and they were among the first groups to accept the invitation extended by President Xi to study and travel in China.

Eisenhauer recalled that during their fall trip, they performed for Peng, and meeting the president's wife was a truly magical moment.

"I believe in the power of peaceful connections between people and cultures," Eisenhauer said. "Individual acts of kindness and friendship have the power to change the world in small but steady ways. I sincerely hope that the leadership of both our countries continue to encourage our youth to travel the globe and share their personal experiences and cultures with each other."

Chong, the US-China Youth and Student Exchange Association president, said he knows of many people who hope for friendship between the two nations and are deeply concerned about the current state of US-China relations.

"There has never been just one voice in America. Through this, we hope to convey to the Chinese people the American public's desire for friendship between our two nations and their love for peace," Chong said.

Ron Chow, co-chairman of the US-China Youth and Student Exchange Association, told China Daily: "We all agree that the US-China relationship is the most consequential bilateral relationship in the world. The future of our friendship lies in the hands of the younger generation. It is our association's mission to deepen dialogue and exchanges between the youth of the US and China, enabling more American young people to understand the real China, not just the one portrayed in the media."