奥巴马上海讲话稿

PRESIDENTOBAMA:Goodafternoon.ItisagreathonorformetobehereinShanghai,andtohavethisopportunitytospeakwithallofyou.IdliketothankFudanUniversitysPresidentYangforhishospitalityandhisgraciouswelcome.Idalsoliketothankouroutstandingambassador,JohnHuntsman,whoexemplifiesthedeeptiesandrespectbetweenournations.Idontknowwhathesaid,butIhopeitwasgood.(Laughter.),WhatIdliketodoistomakesomeopeningcomments,andthenwhatImreallylookingforwardtodoingistakingquestions,notonlyfromstudentswhoareintheaudience,butalsowevereceivedquestionsonline,whichwillbeaskedbysomeofthestudentswhoarehereintheaudience,aswellasbyAmbassadorHuntsman.AndIamverysorrythatmyChineseisnotasgoodasyourEnglish,butIamlookingforwardtothischancetohaveadialogue.,ThisismyfirsttimetravelingtoChina,andImexcitedtoseethismajesticcountry.Here,inShanghai,weseethegrowththathascaughttheattentionoftheworld-thesoaringskyscrapers,thebustlingstreetsandentrepreneurialactivity.AndjustasImimpressedbythesesignsofChinasjourneytothe21stcentury,ImeagertoseethoseancientplacesthatspeaktousfromChinasdistantpast.TomorrowandthenextdayIhopetohaveachancewhenIminBeijingtoseethemajestyoftheForbiddenCityandthewonderoftheGreatWall.Truly,thisisanationthatencompassesbotharichhistoryandabeliefinthepromiseofthefuture.,Thesamecanbesaidoftherelationshipbetweenourtwocountries.Shanghai,ofcourse,isacitythathasgreatmeaninginthehistoryoftherelationshipbetweentheUnitedStatesandChina.Itwashere,37yearsago,thattheShanghaiCommuniqueopenedthedoortoanewchapterofengagementbetweenourgovernmentsandamongourpeople.However,Americastiestothiscity-andtothiscountry-stretchbackfurther,totheearliestdaysofAmericasindependence.,5.In1784,ourfoundingfather,GeorgeWashington,commissionedtheEmpressofChina,ashipthatsetsailfortheseshoressothatitcouldpursuetradewiththeQingDynasty.Washingtonwantedtoseetheshipcarrytheflagaroundtheglobe,andtoforgenewtieswithnationslikeChina.ThisisacommonAmericanimpulse-thedesiretoreachfornewhorizons,andtoforgenewpartnershipsthataremutuallybeneficial.(to),Overthetwocenturiesthathavefollowed,thecurrentsofhistoryhavesteeredtherelationshipbetweenourcountriesinmanydirections.Andeveninthemidstoftumultuouswinds,ourpeoplehadopportunitiestoforgedeepandevendramaticties.Forinstance,AmericanswillneverforgetthehospitalityshowntoourpilotswhowereshotdownoveryoursoilduringWorldWarII,andcaredforbyChinesecivilianswhoriskedallthattheyhadbydoingso.AndChineseveteransofthatwarstillwarmlygreetthoseAmericanveteranswhoreturntothesiteswheretheyfoughttohelpliberateChinafromoccupation.(to),Adifferentkindofconnectionwasmadenearly40yearsagowhenthefrostbetweenourcountriesbegantothawthroughthesimplegameoftabletennis.Theveryunlikelynatureofthisengagementcontributedtoitssuccess-becauseforallourdifferences,bothourcommonhumanityandoursharedcuriositywererevealed.AsoneAmericanplayerdescribedhisvisittoChina-ThepeoplearejustlikeusThecountryisverysimilartoAmerica,butstillverydifferent.,OfcoursethissmallopeningwasfollowedbytheachievementoftheShanghaiCom-munique,andtheeventualestablishmentofformalrelationsbetweentheUnitedStatesandChinain1979.Andinthreedecades,justlookathowfarwehavecome.,In1979,tradebetweentheUnitedStatesandChinastoodatroughly$5billion-todayittopsover$400billioneachyear.Thecommerceaffectsourpeopleslivesinsomanyways.AmericaimportsfromChinamanyofthecomputerpartsweuse,theclotheswewear;andweexporttoChinamachinerythathelpspoweryourindustry.ThistradecouldcreateevenmorejobsonbothsidesofthePacific,whileallowingourpeopletoenjoyabetterqualityoflife.Andasdemandbecomesmorebalanced,itcanleadtoevenbroaderprosperity.,In1979,thepoliticalcooperationbetweentheUnitedStatesandChinawasrootedlargelyinoursharedrivalrywiththeSovietUnion.Today,wehaveapositive,constructiveandcomprehensiverelationshipthatopensthedoortopartnershiponthekeyglobalissuesofourtime-economicrecoveryandthedevelopmentofcleanenergy;stoppingthespreadofnuclearweaponsandthescourgeofclimatechange;thepromotionofpeaceandsecurityinAsiaandaroundtheglobe.AlloftheseissueswillbeontheagendatomorrowwhenImeetwithPresidentHu.,Andin1979,theconnectionsamongourpeoplewerelimited.Today,weseethecuriosityofthoseping-pongplayersmanifestedinthetiesthatarebeingforgedacrossmanysectors.ThesecondhighestnumberofforeignstudentsintheUnitedStatescomefromChina,andweveseena50percentincreaseinthestudyofChineseamongourownstudents.Therearenearly200friendshipcitiesdrawingourcommunitiestogether.AmericanandChinesescientistscooperateonnewresearchanddiscovery.Andofcourse,YaoMingisjustonesignalofoursharedloveofbasketball-ImonlysorrythatIwontbeabletoseeaShanghaiSharksgamewhileImvisiting.,Itisnocoincidencethattherelationshipbetweenourcountrieshasaccompaniedaperiodofpositivechange.Chinahasliftedhundredsofmillionsofpeopleoutofpoverty-anaccomplish-mentunparalleledinhumanhistorywhileplayingalargerroleinglobalevents.AndtheUnitedStateshasseenoureconomygrowalongwiththestandardoflivingenjoyedbyourpeople,whilebringingtheColdWartoasuccessfulconclusion.,ThereisaChineseproverb:Considerthepast,andyoushallknowthefuture.Surely,wehaveknownsetbacksandchallengesoverthelast30years.Ourrelationshiphasnotbeenwithoutdisagreementanddifficulty.Butthenotionthatwemustbeadversariesisnotpredestined-notwhenweconsiderthepast.Indeed,becauseofourcooperation,boththeUnitedStatesandChinaaremoreprosperousandmoresecure.Wehaveseenwhatispossiblewhenwebuilduponourmutualinterests,andengageonthebasisofmutualrespect.,Andyetthesuccessofthatengagementdependsuponunderstanding-onsustaininganopendialogue,andlearningaboutoneanotherandfromoneanother.ForjustasthatAmericantabletennisplayerpointedout-wesharemuchincommonashumanbeings,butourcountriesaredifferentincertainways.,Ibelievethateachcountrymustchartitsowncourse.Chinaisanancientnation,withadeeplyrootedculture.TheUnitedStates,bycomparison,isayoungnation,whosecultureisdeterminedbythemanydifferentimmigrantswhohavecometoourshores,andbythefoundingdocumentsthatguideourdemocracy.,Thosedocumentsputforwardasimplevisionofhumanaffairs,andtheyenshrineseveralcoreprinciples-thatallmenandwomenarecreatedequal,andpossesscertainfundamentalrights;thatgovernmentshouldreflectthewillofthepeopleandrespondtotheirwishes;thatcommerceshouldbeopen,informationfreelyaccessible;andthatlaws,andnotsimplymen,shouldguaranteetheadministrationofjustice.,Ofcourse,thestoryofournationisnotwith-outitsdifficultchapters.Inmanywaysovermanyyearswehavestruggledtoadvancethepromiseoftheseprinciplestoallofourpeople,andtoforgeamoreperfectunion.Wefoughtaverypainfulcivilwar,andfreedaportionofourpopulationfromslavery.Ittooktimeforwomentobeextendedtherighttovote,workerstowintherighttoorganize,andforimmigrantsfromdifferentcornersoftheglobetobefullyembraced.Evenaftertheywerefreed,AfricanAmericansperseveredthroughconditionsthatwereseparateandnotequal,beforewinningfullandequalrights.,Noneofthiswaseasy.Butwemadeprogressbe-causeofourbeliefinthosecoreprinciples,whichhaveservedasourcompassthroughthedarkestofstorms.ThatiswhyLincolncouldstandupinthemidstofcivilwaranddeclareitastruggletoseewhetheranynation,conceivedinliberty,anddedicatedtothepropositionthatallmenarecreatedequalcouldlongendure.ThatiswhyDr.MartinLutherKingcouldstandonthestepsoftheLincolnMemorialandaskthatournationliveoutthetruemeaningofitscreed.Thatswhyimmi-grantsfromChinatoKenyacouldfindahomeonourshores;whyopportunityisavailabletoallwhowouldworkforit;andwhysomeonelikeme,wholessthan50yearsagowouldhavehadtroublevotinginsomepartsofAmerica,isnowabletoserveasitsPresident.,AndthatiswhyAmericawillalwaysspeakoutforthesecoreprinciplesaroundtheworld.Wedonotseektoimposeanysystemofgovern-mentonanyothernation,butwealsodontbelievethattheprinciplesthatwestandforareuniquetoournation.Thesefreedomsofexpres-sionandworship-ofaccesstoinformationandpoliticalparticipation-webelieveareuniversalrights.Theyshouldbeavailabletoallpeople,includingethnicandreligiousminoritieswhethertheyareintheUnitedStates,China,oranynation.,Indeed,itisthatrespectforuniversalrightsthatguidesAmericasopennesstoothercountr-ies;ourrespectfordifferentcultures;ourcommitmenttointernationallaw;andourfaithinthefuture.,TheseareallthingsthatyoushouldknowaboutAmerica.IalsoknowthatwehavemuchtolearnaboutChina.Lookingaroundatthismagnificentcity-andlookingaroundthisroom-Idobelievethatourna-tionsholdsomethingimportantincommon,andthatisabeliefinthefuture.NeithertheUnitedStatesnorChinaiscontenttorestonourachievements.ForwhileChinaisanancientnation,youarealsoclearlylookingaheadwithconfidence,ambition,andacommitmenttoseethattomorrowsgenerationcandobetterthantodays.,Inadditiontoyourgrowingeconomy,weadmireChinasextraordinarycommitmenttoscienceandresearch-acommitmentborneoutineverythingfromtheinfrastructureyoubuildtothetechnologyyouuse.ChinaisnowtheworldslargestInternetuser-whichiswhyweweresopleasedtoincludetheInternetasapartoftodaysevent.Thiscountrynowhastheworldslargestmobilephonenetwork,anditisinvestinginthenewformsofenergythatcanbothsustaingrowthandcombatclimatechangeandImlookingforwardtodeepeningthepartnershipbetweentheUnitedStatesandChinainthiscriticalareatomorrow.Butaboveall,IseeChinasfutureinyou-youngpeoplewhosetalentanddedicationanddreamswilldosomuchtohelpshapethe21stcentury.,IvesaidmanytimesthatIbelievethatourworldisnowfundamentallyinterconnected.Thejobswedo,theprosperitywebuild,theenvironmentweprotect,thesecuritythatweseek-allofthesethingsareshared.Andgiventhatinterconnection,powerinthe21stcenturyisnolongerazero-sumgame;onecountryssuccessneednotcomeattheexpenseofanother.AndthatiswhytheUnitedStatesinsistswedonotseektocontainChinasrise.Onthecontrary,wewelcomeChinaasastrongandprosperousandsuccessfulmemberofthecommunityofnations-aChinathatdrawsontherights,strengths,andcreativityofindividualChineselikeyou.,Toreturntotheproverb-considerthepast.Weknowthatmoreistobegainedwhengreatpowerscooperatethanwhentheycollide.Thatisalessonthathumanbeingshavelearnedtimeandagain,andthatistheexampleofthehistorybetweenournations.AndIbelievestronglythatcooperationmustgobeyondourgovernment.Itmustberootedinourpeople-inthestudiesweshare,thebusinessthatwedo,theknowledgethatwegain,andeveninthesportsthatweplay.AndthesebridgesmustbebuiltbyyoungmenandwomenjustlikeyouandyourcounterpartsinAmerica.,ThatswhyImpleasedtoannouncethattheUnitedStateswilldramaticallyexpandthenumberofourstudentswhostudyinChinato100,000.Andtheseex-changesmarkaclearcommitmenttobuildtiesamongourpeople,assurelyasyouwillhelpdeterminethedestinyofthe21stcentury.AndImabsolutelyconfi-dentthatAmericahasnobetterambassadorstoofferthanouryoungpeople.Forthey,justlikeyou,arefilledwithtalentandenergyandoptimismaboutthehistorythatisyettobewritten.,Soletthisbethenextstepinthesteadypursuitofcooperationthatwillserveournations,andtheworld.Andiftheresonethingthatwecantakefromtodaysdialogue,Ihopethatitisacommitmenttocontinuethisdialoguegoingforward.Sothankyouverymuch.AndIlookforwardnowtotakingsomequestionsfromallofyou.Thankyouverymuch.(Applause.),TheGettysburgAddress,Gettysburg,PennsylvaniaNovember19,1863Fourscoreandsevenyearsagoourfathersbrough