奥巴马上海对话中国青年英文演讲稿

THEWHITEHOUSEOFFICEOFTHEPRESSSECRETARY_FORIMMEDIATERELEASENOVEMBER16,2009REMARKSBYPRESIDENTBARACKOBAMAATTOWNHALLMEETINGWITHFUTURECHINESELEADERSMUSEUMOFSCIENCEANDTECHNOLOGY,SHANGHAI,CHINA118PMCSTPRESIDENTOBAMAGOODAFTERNOONITISAGREATHONORFORMETOBEHEREINSHANGHAI,ANDTOHAVETHISOPPORTUNITYTOSPEAKWITHALLOFYOUIDLIKETOTHANKFUDANUNIVERSITYSPRESIDENTYANGFORHISHOSPITALITYANDHISGRACIOUSWELCOMEIDALSOLIKETOTHANKOUROUTSTANDINGAMBASSADOR,JONHUNTSMAN,WHOEXEMPLIFIESTHEDEEPTIESANDRESPECTBETWEENOURNATIONSIDONTKNOWWHATHESAID,BUTIHOPEITWASGOODLAUGHTERWHATIDLIKETODOISTOMAKESOMEOPENINGCOMMENTS,ANDTHENWHATIMREALLYLOOKINGFORWARDTODOINGISTAKINGQUESTIONS,NOTONLYFROMSTUDENTSWHOAREINTHEAUDIENCE,BUTALSOWEVERECEIVEDQUESTIONSONLINE,WHICHWILLBEASKEDBYSOMEOFTHESTUDENTSWHOAREHEREINTHEAUDIENCE,ASWELLASBYAMBASSADORHUNTSMANANDIAMVERYSORRYTHATMYCHINESEISNOTASGOODASYOURENGLISH,BUTIAMLOOKINGFORWARDTOTHISCHANCETOHAVEADIALOGUETHISISMYFIRSTTIMETRAVELINGTOCHINA,ANDIMEXCITEDTOSEETHISMAJESTICCOUNTRYHERE,INSHANGHAI,WESEETHEGROWTHTHATHASCAUGHTTHEATTENTIONOFTHEWORLDTHESOARINGSKYSCRAPERS,THEBUSTLINGSTREETSANDENTREPRENEURIALACTIVITYANDJUSTASIMIMPRESSEDBYTHESESIGNSOFCHINASJOURNEYTOTHE21STCENTURY,IMEAGERTOSEETHOSEANCIENTPLACESTHATSPEAKTOUSFROMCHINASDISTANTPASTTOMORROWANDTHENEXTDAYIHOPETOHAVEACHANCEWHENIMINBEIJINGTOSEETHEMAJESTYOFTHEFORBIDDENCITYANDTHEWONDEROFTHEGREATWALLTRULY,THISISANATIONTHATENCOMPASSESBOTHARICHHISTORYANDABELIEFINTHEPROMISEOFTHEFUTURETHESAMECANBESAIDOFTHERELATIONSHIPBETWEENOURTWOCOUNTRIESSHANGHAI,OFCOURSE,ISACITYTHATHASGREATMEANINGINTHEHISTORYOFTHERELATIONSHIPBETWEENTHEUNITEDSTATESANDCHINAITWASHERE,37YEARSAGO,THATTHESHANGHAICOMMUNIQUEOPENEDTHEDOORTOANEWCHAPTEROFENGAGEMENTBETWEENOURGOVERNMENTSANDAMONGOURPEOPLEHOWEVER,AMERICASTIESTOTHISCITYANDTOTHISCOUNTRYSTRETCHBACKFURTHER,TOTHEEARLIESTDAYSOFAMERICASINDEPENDENCEIN1784,OURFOUNDINGFATHER,GEORGEWASHINGTON,COMMISSIONEDTHEEMPRESSOFCHINA,ASHIPTHATSETSAILFORTHESESHORESSOTHATITCOULDPURSUETRADEWITHTHEQINGDYNASTYWASHINGTONWANTEDTOSEETHESHIPCARRYTHEFLAGAROUNDTHEGLOBE,ANDTOFORGENEWTIESWITHNATIONSLIKECHINATHISISACOMMONAMERICANIMPULSETHEDESIRETOREACHFORNEWHORIZONS,ANDTOFORGENEWPARTNERSHIPSTHATAREMUTUALLYBENEFICIALOVERTHETWOCENTURIESTHATHAVEFOLLOWED,THECURRENTSOFHISTORYHAVESTEEREDTHERELATIONSHIPBETWEENOURCOUNTRIESINMANYDIRECTIONSANDEVENINTHEMIDSTOFTUMULTUOUSWINDS,OURPEOPLEHADOPPORTUNITIESTOFORGEDEEPANDEVENDRAMATICTIESFORINSTANCE,AMERICANSWILLNEVERFORGETTHEHOSPITALITYSHOWNTOOURPILOTSWHOWERESHOTDOWNOVERYOURSOILDURINGWORLDWARII,ANDCAREDFORBYCHINESECIVILIANSWHORISKEDALLTHATTHEYHADBYDOINGSOANDCHINESEVETERANSOFTHATWARSTILLWARMLYGREETTHOSEAMERICANVETERANSWHORETURNTOTHESITESWHERETHEYFOUGHTTOHELPLIBERATECHINAFROMOCCUPATIONADIFFERENTKINDOFCONNECTIONWASMADENEARLY40YEARSAGOWHENTHEFROSTBETWEENOURCOUNTRIESBEGANTOTHAWTHROUGHTHESIMPLEGAMEOFTABLETENNISTHEVERYUNLIKELYNATUREOFTHISENGAGEMENTCONTRIBUTEDTOITSSUCCESSBECAUSEFORALLOURDIFFERENCES,BOTHOURCOMMONHUMANITYANDOURSHAREDCURIOSITYWEREREVEALEDASONEAMERICANPLAYERDESCRIBEDHISVISITTOCHINA“THEPEOPLEAREJUSTLIKEUSTHECOUNTRYISVERYSIMILARTOAMERICA,BUTSTILLVERYDIFFERENT“OFCOURSETHISSMALLOPENINGWASFOLLOWEDBYTHEACHIEVEMENTOFTHESHANGHAICOMMUNIQUE,ANDTHEEVENTUALESTABLISHMENTOFFORMALRELATIONSBETWEENTHEUNITEDSTATESANDCHINAIN1979ANDINTHREEDECADES,JUSTLOOKATHOWFARWEHAVECOMEIN1979,TRADEBETWEENTHEUNITEDSTATESANDCHINASTOODATROUGHLY5BILLIONTODAYITTOPSOVER400BILLIONEACHYEARTHECOMMERCEAFFECTSOURPEOPLESLIVESINSOMANYWAYSAMERICAIMPORTSFROMCHINAMANYOFTHECOMPUTERPARTSWEUSE,THECLOTHESWEWEARANDWEEXPORTTOCHINAMACHINERYTHATHELPSPOWERYOURINDUSTRYTHISTRADECOULDCREATEEVENMOREJOBSONBOTHSIDESOFTHEPACIFIC,WHILEALLOWINGOURPEOPLETOENJOYABETTERQUALITYOFLIFEANDASDEMANDBECOMESMOREBALANCED,ITCANLEADTOEVENBROADERPROSPERITYIN1979,THEPOLITICALCOOPERATIONBETWEENTHEUNITEDSTATESANDCHINAWASROOTEDLARGELYINOURSHAREDRIVALRYWITHTHESOVIETUNIONTODAY,WEHAVEAPOSITIVE,CONSTRUCTIVEANDCOMPREHENSIVERELATIONSHIPTHATOPENSTHEDOORTOPARTNERSHIPONTHEKEYGLOBALISSUESOFOURTIMEECONOMICRECOVERYANDTHEDEVELOPMENTOFCLEANENERGYSTOPPINGTHESPREADOFNUCLEARWEAPONSANDTHESCOURGEOFCLIMATECHANGETHEPROMOTIONOFPEACEANDSECURITYINASIAANDAROUNDTHEGLOBEALLOFTHESEISSUESWILLBEONTHEAGENDATOMORROWWHENIMEETWITHPRESIDENTHUANDIN1979,THECONNECTIONSAMONGOURPEOPLEWERELIMITEDTODAY,WESEETHECURIOSITYOFTHOSEPINGPONGPLAYERSMANIFESTEDINTHETIESTHATAREBEINGFORGEDACROSSMANYSECTORSTHESECONDHIGHESTNUMBEROFFOREIGNSTUDENTSINTHEUNITEDSTATESCOMEFROMCHINA,ANDWEVESEENA50PERCENTINCREASEINTHESTUDYOFCHINESEAMONGOUROWNSTUDENTSTHEREARENEARLY200“FRIENDSHIPCITIES“DRAWINGOURCOMMUNITIESTOGETHERAMERICANANDCHINESESCIENTISTSCOOPERATEONNEWRESEARCHANDDISCOVERYANDOFCOURSE,YAOMINGISJUSTONESIGNALOFOURSHAREDLOVEOFBASKETBALLIMONLYSORRYTHATIWONTBEABLETOSEEASHANGHAISHARKSGAMEWHILEIMVISITINGITISNOCOINCIDENCETHATTHERELATIONSHIPBETWEENOURCOUNTRIESHASACCOMPANIEDAPERIODOFPOSITIVECHANGECHINAHASLIFTEDHUNDREDSOFMILLIONSOFPEOPLEOUTOFPOVERTYANACCOMPLISHMENTUNPARALLELEDINHUMANHISTORYWHILEPLAYINGALARGERROLEINGLOBALEVENTSANDTHEUNITEDSTATESHASSEENOURECONOMYGROWALONGWITHTHESTANDARDOFLIVINGENJOYEDBYOURPEOPLE,WHILEBRINGINGTHECOLDWAR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