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.