Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

How can a cup of bubble tea or a piece of fried chicken touch people-to-people ties between China and the US? Perhaps the answer lies in those waiting in line. Amid twists and turns, people-to-people connectivity remains a profound force behind relations between the two major countries. We look forward to more "everyday diplomats" emerging between the two countries.

An article by the Associated Press recently reported that Chinese customers lined up in the rain when US fast-food chain Church's Texas Chicken opened its first Shanghai store in August, while American customers waited in the cold to sample soft-serve ice cream when Chinese bubble tea chain Mixue opened in New York last year. The article argued that burgers, fried chicken and bubble tea are becoming two-way cultural bridges between China and the US. As Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to pay a state visit to the US at the invitation of US President Donald Trump, the article is particularly telling.

How can a cup of bubble tea or a piece of fried chicken touch people-to-people ties between two major powers? Perhaps the answer lies in those waiting in line. Food is an everyday "diplomat": It needs no translation and carries no ideological label, yet it can speak directly to the heart. When young Americans post pictures of Chinese bubble tea on social media, and Chinese consumers enjoy American-style fried chicken as a treat, they are engaging with more than just products. They are also experiencing the lifestyles and cultural symbols behind them. Long lines at Popeyes and Five Guys stores in China, alongside the opening of Chinese brands such as Heytea, Mixue and Naisnow in New York, reflect a desire among people in both countries to get closer to and better understand each other through everyday encounters with one another's food and culture.

Whether it is American fast-food brands putting down roots in China or Chinese tea and beverage brands flourishing in the US, these developments point to growing room for mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the US. 

Church's Texas Chicken plans to open more than 600 restaurants in China in the coming years, and Wendy's, one of the major US burger chains, plans to open as many as 1,000 restaurants in China over the next decade. Meanwhile, Chinese food and beverage brands are also making inroads into the US market. The willingness of Chinese and American companies to invest real money in each other's market shows that they trust local consumers, see strong prospects for market growth, and hope to further deepen economic and trade ties between the two countries.

The hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in grassroots connections, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from subnational exchanges. The Chinese leader's initiative to invite 50,000 American youths to China in five years for exchanges and study reached its target two and a half years ahead of schedule, with young people from both countries increasingly becoming a driving force for China-US friendship. Events such as the China-US Youth Sports Exchange Events and the Flying Tigers Youth Leadership Dialogue have been successfully held. 

Labubu made an appearance at the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup jointly hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico; the Chinese animated film All Wishes Come True received a high-profile North American theatrical premiere and an enthusiastic response; the "Becoming Chinese" trend has gained popularity among young Americans on social media; and young people in China and the US have compared notes online about their everyday lives, gaining a better understanding of each other in the process. 

These developments and stories unfolding between China and the US demonstrate in the most straightforward way that the goodwill and friendship between the Chinese and American peoples can reach across the Pacific.

Amid twists and turns, warm currents in people-to-people exchanges between China and the US have continued to flow. People-to-people connectivity remains a profound force behind relations between the two major countries. Currently, American public sentiment toward China is steadily improving. The latest survey by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, a US think tank, found that 57 percent of Americans believe the US should undertake friendly cooperation and engagement with China, continuing a shift toward engagement that has been underway since 2024. The emotional ties at the grassroots level continue to strengthen, forming a solid foundation for building a "constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability."

A cup of bubble tea and a piece of fried chicken reflect the broader trend in China-US relations. The crowds lining up in Shanghai and New York, along with the "friendship trees" in the Mu Us Desert, all tell stories of the admiration between the people of both countries for each other's cultures, their expectations for mutually beneficial cooperation, and their shared desire for the stable development of China-US relations. 

We look forward to more "everyday diplomats" emerging between the two countries under the guidance of the consensus reached by the leaders of both nations, promoting the steady and long-term building of a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability that continuously injects certainty and positive energy into a world of change and turbulence.