The people-to-people exchanges between Chinese and American youth are of great significance for enhancing the understanding and mutual trust between the two peoples. Improving the quality and effectiveness of exchanges and promoting the high-quality development of people-to-people interactions have become the practical needs of Beijing. Taking New York City，an international sister city of Beijing，as a case study，this paper analyzes its effective strategies for promoting cross-cultural people-to-people exchanges among youth through field research and semi-structured interviews，exploring the advantages and challenges of Beijing in the people-to-people exchanges between Chinese and American youth. Research findings show that New York City attracts young people worldwide with its diverse cultural atmosphere，open channels for exchange organizations，promotion of urban characteristics，project quality control，varied and targeted project settings，and policy support. Beijing has great potential for the high-quality development of people-to-people exchanges between Chinese and American youth in terms of historical and cultural resources，organizational operations，grass-roots exchange platforms，and social media influence. This paper puts forward relevant suggestions from the perspectives of improving the quality of exchange participants，enriching the dimensions of exchange content，and ensuring the effectiveness and influence of exchange programs so as to provide references for Beijing to promote the high-quality development of people-to-people exchanges between Chinese and American youth and contribute to the construction of Beijing as the center of international exchanges.