By He Yin, People’s Daily
The Mu Us Desert in north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region is now lush with trees and teeming with life. It is here that Yin Yuzhen,a pioneering Chinese desertification fighter, reunited with her American friend Ronald Sakolsky after 26 years apart.
In 1999, Sakolsky was teaching in Luoyang, Henan province in central China, he was deeply moved by Yin’s story of planting trees and battling desertification in the arid landscape. Under the Chinese name “Sai Kaosi,” he raised $5,000 to support her work.
More than two decades later, those early acts of kindness have helped nurture more than 50,000 trees, turning once-barren stretches of sand into green oases. What began as a simple gesture has grown into a lasting story of friendship between ordinary people in China and the United States.
This is a vivid example of how friendship between the Chinese and American peoples is carried forward from generation to generation.
Though separated by oceans, language, and culture, Yin and Sakolsky found common ground in a shared commitment to making their home greener and better.
Their story reflects some of the most fundamental values shared by the two peoples: the aspiration for a better life, respect for nature, and a willingness to stand up for what is right. Such sentiments can transcend borders and bridge cultural differences.
The Chinese tradition of building friendships through sincerity and cherishing the kindness of others has met with the goodwill of an international friend half a world away, giving this people-to-people friendship the strength to endure the test of time.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the hope of the China-U.S. relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in the societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from exchanges at subnational levels.
This view is firmly rooted in the long history of friendship and mutual understanding between the Chinese and American people. Over the years, countless stories of people-to-people exchanges have shown that friendship can overcome differences in geography, culture, and national borders.
The century-old friendship forged in Kuliang, the shared experience of fighting side by side during the World Anti-Fascist War, and “Ping-Pong Diplomacy,” which helped pave the way for the normalization of China-U.S. relations, are among the best-known examples. Each has left memories that continue to resonate across generations.
In 2023, Xi proposed to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years, and the target has been achieved two and a half years ahead of schedule. Exchanges and mutual understanding among young people are injecting a steady stream of fresh vitality into the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.
History and reality have repeatedly proved that friendship between the peoples is the deepest social foundation of China-U.S. relations and a reliable source of strength for the relationship to withstand challenges and move forward on a steady course.
Mutual understanding and goodwill between the peoples can, in turn, create space for practical cooperation. Ecological conservation is one area where the interests and ideas of China and the United States converge.
The transformation of the Mu Us Desert from barren sands into a green landscape is a vivid testament to China’s historic achievements in combating desertification.
For more than half a century, generations of Chinese people dedicated to this cause have worked tirelessly to explore a path suited to the laws of nature and China’s national conditions, achieving a historic transformation from “sand forcing humans to retreat” to “trees forcing sand to retreat.”
China’s consistent efforts to promote ecological conservation have not only strengthened its own ecological security, but also created broad opportunities for international exchanges and cooperation in this field, enabling more international friends to see firsthand China’s commitment to and sense of responsibility for green development.
Today, global challenges such as climate change, land desertification and biodiversity loss are becoming increasingly acute. Protecting our shared planet is a common cause of all humanity. No country can stand apart from these challenges, and working together to address them remains the right path forward.
Guided by the vision of building a community of life for man and nature, China has actively shared its experience in combating desertification, promoted appropriate technologies and trained professionals.
Through concrete actions, China is contributing its strength to global ecological governance. It has contributed to the development of Africa’s Great Green Wall project, supported ecological restoration efforts around the Aral Sea in Central Asian countries, and conducted exchanges and cooperation with Arab countries on water-saving agricultural technologies for arid regions.
As two major countries with significant global influence, China and the United States share extensive common interests in areas including environmental protection, clean energy and climate governance. Cooperation in these fields would benefit not only the peoples of both countries, but also give new impetus to global green development.
A single sapling can grow into a vast forest, and a single act of kindness can bridge mountains and seas. The story of Sakolsky and Yin shows that the sincere efforts of ordinary people can create an impact far beyond their expectations. When major countries approach each other with goodwill, they can bring even greater benefits to the world.
By continuing to nurture the strong foundation of people-to-people friendship and uphold the principle of mutually beneficial cooperation, China and the United States can build greater consensus and expand cooperation, allowing more seeds of friendship to take root and flourish.
Together, they can bring greater stability and positive energy to a world undergoing profound changes and turbulence, and work hand in hand to protect the common home on which humanity depends.
A green bond bridging China and the U.S.
