Remarks by President Barack Obama at Town Hall Meeting with Future Chinese Leaders
MuseumofScienceand Technology,Shanghai,China
November 16, 2009
Good afternoon. It is a great honor for me to be here inShanghai, and to have this opportunity to speak with all of you. I'd like to thankFudanUniversity'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 remarks, 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 toChina, and I'm excited to see this majestic country. Here, inShanghai, 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 ofChina's journey to the 21st century, I'm eager to see those ancient places that speak to us fromChina's distant past. Tomorrow and the next day I hope to have a chance when I'm inBeijingto see the majesty of theForbidden Cityand 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 theUnited StatesandChina. It was here, 37 years ago, that the Shanghai Communiqué 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 ofAmerica'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.Washingtonwanted to see the ship carry the flag around the globe, and to forge new ties with nations likeChina. 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 during World War 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 liberateChinafrom 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 toChina——"[The] people are just like us…The country is very similar toAmerica, but still very different."
Of course this small opening was followed by the achievement of the Shanghai Communiqué, and the eventual establishment of formal relations between theUnited StatesandChinain 1979. And in three decades, just look at how far we have come.
In 1979, trade between theUnited StatesandChinastood at roughly $5 billion ——today it tops over $400 billion each year. The commerce affects our people's lives in so many ways.Americaimports fromChinamany of the computer parts we use, the clothes we wear; and we export toChinamachinery 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 theUnited StatesandChinawas rooted largely in our shared rivalry with theSoviet 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 theUnited Statescomes fromChina, 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.Chinahas lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty -- an accomplishment unparalleled in human history -- while playing a larger role in global events. And theUnited Stateshas 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 theUnited StatesandChinaare 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.
奥巴马总统在与中国青年见面会上的讲话
中国•上海科技馆
2009年11月16日
大家下午好！十分荣幸能有机会来上海与各位进行交流。感谢复旦大学杨玉良校长给予我的盛情款待及其热烈洋溢的欢迎辞。此外，我还要感谢我们出色的驻华大使洪博培先生，他的工作体现了美中两国之间的深情厚谊和相互尊重。我虽然听不懂他中文演讲的内容，但我希望他说的都是好事（笑）。
今天，我先简单地做个开场白，而我真正的目的是回答在座各位的提问——不仅回答在座的大学生所提出的问题，还有网民提出的各种问题，这些问题由在座的大学生观众和洪博培大使代为提出。本人汉语水平与各位的英语水平相比实在是相形见绌，对此我十分抱歉。但我仍然十分期待与各位进行此次对话。
这是我第一次来贵国访问，我十分高兴能够亲眼目睹中国的壮丽河山。在上海，我们看到了举世瞩目的城市发展——高耸入云的摩天大楼，熙熙攘攘的大街小巷，以及如火如荼的商业活动。这些都是中国步入21世纪的景象，我不禁为之赞叹。同时，我也期盼能有机会参观那些代表中国古老历史的名胜遗迹。明后两天在北京逗留期间，我希望能有机会参观宏伟壮丽的紫禁城和令人叹为观止的万里长城。中国的确是一个既有丰富历史内涵，又是对未来充满希望的国度。
而我们两国关系也的确如此。当然，上海在美中关系史上占有举足轻重的位置。早在37年前，《上海公报》的颁布就为两国政府及两国人民之间的交往开启了一扇全新的大门。其实，美国与这座城市乃至整个中国的渊源可以追溯到美国独立之初。
1784年，美国国父乔治•华盛顿组织了“中国皇后号”的下水仪式，该船将驶往世界上的各个海港，并有望与清王朝进行贸易往来。华盛顿希望这艘开往世界各地的船舶能够带来与中国等国家建立新贸易伙伴关系的机会。这就是美国人的共同特点——渴望探索新的天地，渴望与其他国家建立互利互惠的合作伙伴关系。
在其后两个世纪里，历史洪流使我们两国关系朝着多个方向发展。即便是在风雨飘摇的动荡年代，两国人民都有机会建立深厚的友谊，有时甚至是富有戏剧性的关系。美国人民永远不会忘记，“二战”期间，美国飞行员在中国上空被不幸击落后，当地人民给予他们热情款待，并冒着生命危险照顾他们。参加过“二战”的中国老兵对故地重游的美国老兵表示热烈欢迎，因为他们曾在这里为对抗日军占领、为中国的独立而并肩作战。
40年前，我们的两国关系因小小的乒乓球赛开始解冻，并建立起一种新的联系。而两国间几乎不可能实现的接触取得了成功——正是由于我们截然不同，我们人性中共同的一面和对彼此的好奇感才得以体现。正如一名美国乒乓球运动员在讲述其中国之行时所说的那样：“中国人与我们几乎一样……美中两国如此相像，却又如此不同。”
当然，这场小序曲进一步促成了《上海公报》的问世以及美中两国在1979年正式建交。两国关系在过去30年中又取得了长足的进步和发展。
1979年，美中贸易额仅为50亿美元，而如今，两国年贸易额已突破4000亿美元。贸易活动从各个方面对两国人民的生活产生着巨大影响。美国从中国进口大量的电脑零部件和服装，同时也向中国出口工业发展所需要的各种机器设备。两国贸易为太平洋两岸的人民带来更多的就业机会，人民的生活质量进一步提高。随着需求的日趋平衡，两国贸易将创造出更为普遍的繁荣。
1979年，美中政治合作在很大程度上源于我们两国与苏联的竞争。如今，两国之间积极的、具有建设性的全面关系为双方在当前全球性重要问题的合作打开了一扇大门——经济复苏、清洁能源开发、制止核武器扩散、应对气候变化以及促进亚洲和世界各地的和平与稳定。我明天与胡主席会晤时，会就上述所有问题交换看法。
1979年，美中两国人民之间的交往还十分有限。今天，我们从两国在各个领域中建立的关系中仍旧能够发现两国人民一如当年乒乓球运动员那样充满好奇。赴美学习的中国留学生的数量在各国赴美留学生总人数中位居第二。与此同时，学习中文的美国学生人数亦增加了五成。两国间有近200所城市建立了“友好城市”关系，拉近了两国社会的距离。两国科学家在许多新的研究和发现领域展开了合作。此外，我们都热爱篮球运动，姚明就是一个例子。令我遗憾的是，在此次访问期间没有机会观看上海鲨鱼队的比赛。
美中两国关系的发展伴随着一个积极变革的时期，但这绝非巧合。中国使几千万人口摆脱了贫困，这是人类历史上史无前例的成就。中国还在全球事务中发挥着越来越大的作用。美国经济随着人民生活水平的提高而不断增长，与此同时，“冷战”亦被成功画上了句号。
中国有句古话：“温故而知新。”的确，30年来，我们饱经挫折与挑战，两国关系亦不无分歧与困难。但历史告诉我们，两国并非命中注定一定要成为对手。事实上，由于合作，美中两国都变得更加繁荣和安全。我们深知，只要我们在互利互惠、相互尊重的基础上进行交往，就一定会有所建树。