On June 3, 2025, the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA) held its first open day event for international students, welcoming a student delegation organized by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center of the University of Montana, USA.

Vice President Zou Xiaoli warmly welcomed the student delegation to the CPIFA. He stated that in an era of global uncertainty and transformative changes in China-U.S. relations, enhancing educational and cultural exchanges, especially among students, is crucial to building mutual trust, shaping objective and rational perceptions, and strengthening public foundation for a stable bilateral relationship.

The delegation expressed appreciation for the CPIFA’s warm reception and thoughtful arrangements, and shared thoughts that they expected a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and China’s economic and social development during this visit. They will bring the experiences here back home, promoting mutual understanding between the two peoples.

Guided by young CPIFA staff, the American students made a tour of the Institute’s historic buildings and cultural archives, watched videos on its international exchanges, and engaged in lively discussions.

In 1972, shortly after U.S. President Nixon’s ice-breaking visit to China, CPIFA hosted a bipartisan congressional delegation led by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield and Minority Leader Hugh Scott, marking the beginning of congressional exchanges between the U.S. and China and playing a pivotal role in advancing the normalization of bilateral relations. In 1983, the Mansfield Center was established at the University of Montana.