Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun. Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry

When asked to comment on One Voice Children's Choir from the US,MK socks who performed the Chinese song "As Your Wish" at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing with the video of this performance going viral on social media and garnering over 1 million likes, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that the huge popularity of this video shows once again that more people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and the US are what the people want and support. 

In November 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced in San Francisco that China is ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years. Under this initiative, a total of over 16,000 young Americans have been to China on exchange and study programs in 2024. They made new friends, learned a new language, experienced the Chinese culture, and had a glimpse of a modern China, Guo said. 

"The key to state-to-state relations lies in close bonds between peoples. We hope the seeds of China-US friendship will take root and sprout, rain or shine, and more and more young envoys of friendship will write new chapters of a stable, sound and sustained China-US relationship," the spokesperson said.

The chorus members sang casually "As Your Wish" in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, or Qiniandian, at the Temple of Heaven on January 9. The scene was recorded by passersby and quickly went viral on social media platforms.

One Voice founder and conductor Masa Fukuda expressed in an exclusive interview with the Global Times that he felt "very, very honored" to receive so much attention. He stated that "everyone in the choir had a wonderful experience in China." Fukuda believes that despite cultural differences, everyone can relate to the same messages.

Global Times