Peng Liyuan, the wife of President Xi Jinping, expressed the hope that young people from the US state of Washington could convey the friendly sentiments of the Chinese people and contribute to friendship between the two peoples.

She made the remarks when attending a China-US youth cultural and sports exchange event held at Beijing No 8 High School on Tuesday.

Over 100 teachers and students from more than 10 high schools in Washington state had been invited as part of the initiative announced by President Xi in San Francisco last year to invite 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programs in the next five years.

Peng warmly welcomed the teachers and students to visit and experience the real China firsthand, and expressed the hope for more mutual understanding and interaction between young people from the two countries to inject positive energy into the bilateral relations.

Peng, together with the guests, watched a friendly basketball match between Chinese and US youths, and she presented commemorative medals to players from both teams. She also had photos taken with students from both countries.

Noting that the visit has helped forge a deep friendship between young people of the two countries, she expressed the belief that the visit would leave a beautiful memory in their hearts.

As the future of China-US relations lies in the youth, Peng said she hoped that members of the delegation would share their experiences in China with their families, friends and classmates upon returning home, and keep the tree of friendship between the two peoples blossoming.