to be here in Shanghai, and to have this opportunity to speak with all of
you. I'd like to thank Fudan University's President Yang for his
hospitality and his gracious welcome. I'd also like to thank our
outstanding Ambassador, Jon Huntsman, who exemplifies the deep ties
and respect between our nations. I don't know what he said, but I hope it
was good. (Laughter.)
What I'd like to do is to make some opening comments, and then what
I'm really looking forward to doing is taking questions, not only from
students who are in the audience, but also we've received questions online,
which will be asked by some of the students who are here in the audience,
as well as by Ambassador Huntsman. And I am very sorry that my
Chinese is not as good as your English, but I am looking forward to this
chance to have a dialogue.
This is my first time traveling to China, and I'm excited to see this
majestic country. Here, in Shanghai, we see the growth that has caught
the attention of the world -- the soaring skyscrapers, the bustling streets
and entrepreneurial activity. And just as I'm impressed by these signs of
China's journey to the 21st century, I'm eager to see those ancient places
that speak to us from China's distant past. Tomorrow and the next day I
hope to have a chance when I'm in Beijing to see the majesty of the
Forbidden City and the wonder of the Great Wall. Truly, this is a nation
that encompasses both a rich history and a belief in the promise of the
future.
The same can be said of the relationship between our two countries.
Shanghai, of course, is a city that has great meaning in the history of the
relationship between the United States and China. It was here, 37 years
ago, that the Shanghai Communique opened the door to a new chapter of
engagement between our governments and among our people. However,
America's ties to this city -- and to this country -- stretch back further, to
the earliest days of America's independence.
In 1784, our founding father, George Washington, commissioned the
Empress of China, a ship that set sail for these shores so that it could
pursue trade with the Qing Dynasty. Washington wanted to see the ship
carry the flag around the globe, and to forge new ties with nations like
China. This is a common American impulse -- the desire to reach for
new horizons, and to forge new partnerships that are mutually beneficial.
Over the two centuries that have followed, the currents of history have
steered the relationship between our countries in many directions. And
even in the midst of tumultuous winds, our people had opportunities to
forge deep and even dramatic ties. For instance, Americans will never
forget the hospitality shown to our pilots who were shot down over your
soil duringWorldWar II, and cared for by Chinese civilians who risked all
that they had by doing so. And Chinese veterans of that war still warmly
greet those American veterans who return to the sites where they fought to
help liberate China from occupation.
A different kind of connection was made nearly 40 years ago when the
frost between our countries began to thaw through the simple game of
table tennis. The very unlikely nature of this engagement contributed to
its success -- because for all our differences, both our common humanity
and our shared curiosity were revealed. As one American player
described his visit to China -- "[The]people are just like us…The country
is very similar to America, but still very different."
Of course this small opening was followed by the achievement of the
Shanghai Communique, and the eventual establishment of formal
relations between the United States and China in 1979. And in three
decades, just look at how far we have come.
In 1979, trade between the United States and China stood at roughly $5
billion -- today it tops over $400 billion each year. The commerce affects
our people's lives in so many ways. America imports from China many
of the computer parts we use, the clothes we wear; and we export to China
machinery that helps power your industry. This trade could create even
more jobs on both sides of the Pacific, while allowing our people to enjoy
a better quality of life. And as demand becomes more balanced, it can
lead to even broader prosperity.
In 1979, the political cooperation between the United States and China
was rooted largely in our shared rivalry with the Soviet Union. Today,
we have a positive, constructive and comprehensive relationship that
opens the door to partnership on the key global issues of our time --
economic recovery and the development of clean energy; stopping the
spread of nuclear weapons and the scourge of climate change; the
promotion of peace and security in Asia and around the globe. All of
these issues will be on the agenda tomorrow when I meet with President
Hu.
And in 1979, the connections among our people were limited. Today, we
see the curiosity of those ping-pong players manifested in the ties that are
being forged across many sectors. The second highest number of foreign
students in the United States come from China, and we've seen a 50
percent increase in the study of Chinese among our own students. There
are nearly 200 "friendship cities" drawing our communities together.
American and Chinese scientists cooperate on new research and discovery.
And of course, Yao Ming is just one signal of our shared love of
basketball -- I'm only sorry that I won't be able to see a Shanghai Sharks
game while I'm visiting.
It is no coincidence that the relationship between our countries has
accompanied a period of positive change. China has lifted hundreds of
millions of people out of poverty -- an accomplishment unparalleled in
human history -- while playing a larger role in global events. And the
United States has seen our economy grow along with the standard of
living enjoyed by our people, while bringing the Cold War to a successful
conclusion.
There is a Chinese proverb: "Consider the past, and you shall know the
future." Surely, we have known setbacks and challenges over the last 30
years. Our relationship has not been without disagreement and difficulty.
But the notion that we must be adversaries is not predestined -- not when
we consider the past. Indeed, because of our cooperation, both the
United States and China are more prosperous and more secure. We have
seen what is possible when we build upon our mutual interests, and engage
on the basis of mutual respect.
And yet the success of that engagement depends upon understanding --
on sustaining an open dialogue, and learning about one another and from
one another. For just as that American table tennis player pointed out --
we share much in common as human beings, but our countries are
different in certain ways.
I believe that each country must chart its own course. China is an
ancient nation, with a deeply rooted culture. The United States, by
comparison, is a young nation, whose culture is determined by the many
different immigrants who have come to our shores, and by the founding
documents that guide our democracy.
Those documents put forward a simple vision of human affairs, and they
enshrine several core principles -- that all men and women are created
equal, and possess certain fundamental rights; that government should
reflect the will of the people and respond to their wishes; that commerce
should be open, information freely accessible; and that laws, and not
simply men, should guarantee the administration of justice.
Of course, the story of our nation is not without its difficult chapters.
In many ways -- over many years -- we have struggled to advance the
promise of these principles to all of our people, and to forge a more perfect
union. We fought a very painful civil war, and freed a portion of our
population from slavery. It took time for women to be extended the right
to vote, workers to win the right to organize, and for immigrants from
different corners of the globe to be fully embraced. Even after they were
freed, African Americans persevered through conditions that were separate
and not equal, before winning full and equal rights.
None of this was easy. But we made progress because of our belief in
those core principles, which have served as our compass through the
darkest of storms. That is why Lincoln could stand up in the midst of
civil war and declare it a struggle to see whether any nation, conceived in
liberty, and "dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal"
could long endure. That is why Dr. Martin Luther King could stand on the
steps of the Lincoln Memorial and ask that our nation live out the true
meaning of its creed. That's why immigrants from China to Kenya could
find a home on our shores; why opportunity is available to all who would
work for it; and why someone like me, who less than 50 years ago would
have had trouble voting in some parts of America, is now able to serve as
its President.
And that is why America will always speak out for these core principles
around the world. We do not seek to impose any system of government
on any other nation, but we also don't believe that the principles that we
stand for are unique to our nation. These freedoms of expression_r_r_r and
worship -- of access to information and political participation -- we
believe are universal rights. They should be available to all people,
including ethnic and religious minorities -- whether they are in the United
States, China, or any nation. Indeed, it is that respect for universal rights
that guides America's openness to other countries; our respect for different
cultures; our commitment to international law; and our faith in the future.
These are all things that you should know about America. I also know
that we have much to learn about China. Looking around at this
magnificent city -- and looking around this room -- I do believe that our
nations hold something important in common, and that is a belief in the
future. Neither the United States nor China is content to rest on our
achievements. For while China is an ancient nation, you are also clearly
looking ahead with confidence, ambition, and a commitment to see that
tomorrow's generation can do better than today's.
In addition to your growing economy, we admire China's extraordinary
commitment to science and research -- a commitment borne out in
everything from the infrastructure you build to the technology you use.
China is now the world's largest Internet user -- which is why we were so
pleased to include the Internet as a part of today's event. This country
now has the world's largest mobile phone network, and it is investing in
the new forms of energy that can both sustain growth and combat climate
change -- and I'm looking forward to deepening the partnership between
the United States and China in this critical area tomorrow. But above all,
I see China's future in you -- young people whose talent and dedication
and dreams will do so much to help shape the 21st century.
I've said many times that I believe that our world is now fundamentally
interconnected. The jobs we do, the prosperity we build, the
environment we protect, the security that we seek -- all of these things are
shared. And given that interconnection, power in the 21st century is no
longer a zero-sum game; one country's success need not come at the
expense of another. And that is why the United States insists we do not
seek to contain China's rise. On the contrary, we welcome China as a
strong and prosperous and successful member of the community of nations
-- a China that draws on the rights, strengths, and creativity of individual
Chinese like you.
To return to the proverb -- consider the past. We know that more is to
be gained when great powers cooperate than when they collide. That is a
lesson that human beings have learned time and again, and that is the
example of the history between our nations. And I believe strongly that
cooperation must go beyond our government. It must be rooted in our
people -- in the studies we share, the business that we do, the knowledge
that we gain, and even in the sports that we play. And these bridges must
be built by young men and women just like you and your counterparts in
America.
That's why I'm pleased to announce that the United States will
dramatically expand the number of our students who study in China to
100,000. And these exchanges mark a clear commitment to build ties
among our people, as surely as you will help determine the destiny of the
21st century. And I'm absolutely confident that America has no better
ambassadors to offer than our young people. For they, just like you, are
filled with talent and energy and optimism about the history that is yet to
be written.
So let this be the next step in the steady pursuit of cooperation that will
serve our nations, and the world. And if there's one thing that we can
take from today's dialogue, I hope that it is a commitment to continue this
dialogue going forward.
So thank you very much. And I look forward now to taking some
questions from all of you. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
So -- I just want to make sure this works. This is a tradition, by the way,
that is very common in the United States at these town hall meetings.
And what we're going to do is I will just -- if you are interested in asking a
question, you can raise your hands. I will call on you. And then I will
alternate between a question from the audience and an Internet question
from one of the students who prepared the questions, as well as I think
Ambassador Huntsman may have a question that we were able to obtain
from theWeb site of our embassy.