SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed here Wednesday the role of people in China-U.S. relations at a welcome dinner by friendly organizations in the United States.

"The foundation of China-U.S. relations was laid by our peoples," Xi said, stressing that "the door of China-U.S. relations was opened by our peoples," "the stories of China-U.S. relations are written by our peoples" and "the future of China-U.S. relations will be created by our peoples."

"We should build more bridges and pave more roads for people-to-people interactions. We must not erect barriers or create a chilling effect," he said.

Meanwhile, the Chinese president said he was convinced the door of China-U.S. relations cannot be shut again once opened, and the cause of China-U.S. friendship cannot be derailed halfway once started.