'I do my best to explain to them how caring and wonderful the Chinese people are': Lincoln High School graduate

A group photo of Rigel Bruce Adams (right) and some young Chinese performers was taken in China in October 2016. (Photo/Courtesy of Adams)

An increasing number of US youth are coming to China for people-to-people exchanges with the warm welcome of the Chinese government and people, building a friendship bridge between the younger generations of the two countries. Rigel Bruce Adams, a graduate of Lincoln High School, is among the many American youth who have developed a deep affection for China through multiple visits to the country.

"I truly feel at home whenever I visit China," Adams said in an interview with the Global Times.

Adams' connection with China began in 2016. At the time, he was part of a delegation from Lincoln High School to China. During the week-long trip, Adams and his 95 classmates toured Chinese cities including Beijing, Fuzhou, and Chengdu, which left a lasting impression on him. "The real China was so much larger and more friendly than I could have ever expected," Adams recalled.

Since then, Adams has revisited China multiple times, traveling to many places across the country, such as Hong Kong, Sichuan, Jiangsu, and Shanghai. Once he even traveled from Lhasa to Mount Qomolangma in Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

"China is such a large country with so much variety. Every place I have traveled [to] in China has been unique, beautiful, and precious in its own way," said Adams. "The biggest thing that always stands out to me when I visit China, is how kind and helpful all the people are, and how little I have to worry about my safety." Adams, who is in his 20s, added that he plans to travel to China again with his family this summer.

Rigel Bruce Adams (left) poses at an airport before leaving during his trip to China in 2016, as a member of the Lincoln High School delegation. (Photo/Courtesy of Adams)

Adams has also actively participated in many themed activities for the youth from both China and the US, such as the "Bond with Kuliang: 2024 China-US Youth Festival" held in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province, in the summer of 2024. These events have enabled him to gain a deeper understanding of the new generation in China, and have strengthened his determination to make a personal effort to eliminate misunderstandings, enhance mutual understanding, and deepen friendships between the youth of the two countries.

"Whenever I engage with Americans who neither know about China nor have an unfavorable opinion, I do my best to explain to them how caring and wonderful the Chinese people are. I always encourage them to visit China and experience this wonderful country for themselves," Adams said. "I find that, some people with unfavorable opinions of China is simply because they don't know any Chinese people or know that much about the country."

Today, Adams still stays in contact with some of the Chinese students he met on his very first trip to China in 2016. He also looks forward to more opportunities to connect with young people in China. "I believe the best path forward for both our peoples is one of friendship, cooperation, and peace," he told the Global Times. "The strongest relationships start from a seed, and it is up to all of us as young people to plant that seed and help it grow."