Remarks by President Barack Obama at Town Hall Mee

RemarksbyPresidentBarackObamaatTownHallMeetingwithFutureChineseLeadersMuseumofScienceandTechnology,Shanghai,ChinaFullVideoClipDownloadMP3(53MB)1:18P.M.CSTPRESIDENTOBAMA:Goodafternoon.ItisagreathonorformetobehereinShanghai,andtohavethisopportunitytospeakwithallofyou.I'dliketothankFudanUniversity'sPresidentYangforhishospitalityandhisgraciouswelcome.I'dalsoliketothankouroutstandingAmbassador,JonHuntsman,whoexemplifiesthedeeptiesandrespectbetweenournations.Idon'tknowwhathesaid,butIhopeitwasgood.(Laughter.)WhatI'dliketodoistomakesomeopeningcomments,andthenwhatI'mreallylookingforwardtodoingistakingquestions,notonlyfromstudentswhoareintheaudience,butalsowe'vereceivedquestionsonline,whichwillbeaskedbysomeofthestudentswhoarehereintheaudience,aswellasbyAmbassadorHuntsman.AndIamverysorrythatmyChineseisnotasgoodasyourEnglish,butIamlookingforwardtothischancetohaveadialogue.ThisismyfirsttimetravelingtoChina,andI'mexcitedtoseethismajesticcountry.Here,inShanghai,weseethegrowththathascaughttheattentionoftheworld--thesoaringskyscrapers,thebustlingstreetsandentrepreneurialactivity.AndjustasI'mimpressedbythesesignsofChina'sjourneytothe21stcentury,I'meagertoseethoseancientplacesthatspeaktousfromChina'sdistantpast.TomorrowandthenextdayIhopetohaveachancewhenI'minBeijingtoseethemajestyoftheForbiddenCityandthewonderoftheGreatWall.Truly,thisisanationthatencompassesbotharichhistoryandabeliefinthepromiseofthefuture.Thesamecanbesaidoftherelationshipbetweenourtwocountries.Shanghai,ofcourse,isacitythathasgreatmeaninginthehistoryoftherelationshipbetweentheUnitedStatesandChina.Itwashere,37yearsago,thattheShanghaiCommuniqueopenedthedoortoanewchapterofengagementbetweenourgovernmentsandamongourpeople.However,America'stiestothiscity--andtothiscountry--stretchbackfurther,totheearliestdaysofAmerica'sindependence.In1784,ourfoundingfather,GeorgeWashington,commissionedtheEmpressofChina,ashipthatsetsailfortheseshoressothatitcouldpursuetradewiththeQingDynasty.Washingtonwantedtoseetheshipcarrytheflagaroundtheglobe,andtoforgenewtieswithnationslikeChina.ThisisacommonAmericanimpulse--thedesiretoreachfornewhorizons,andtoforgenewpartnershipsthataremutuallybeneficial.Overthetwocenturiesthathavefollowed,thecurrentsofhistoryhavesteeredtherelationshipbetweenourcountriesinmanydirections.Andeveninthemidstoftumultuouswinds,ourpeoplehadopportunitiestoforgedeepandevendramaticties.Forinstance,AmericanswillneverforgetthehospitalityshowntoourpilotswhowereshotdownoveryoursoilduringWorldWarII,andcaredforbyChinesecivilianswhoriskedallthattheyhadbydoingso.AndChineseveteransofthatwarstillwarmlygreetthoseAmericanveteranswhoreturntothesiteswheretheyfoughttohelpliberateChinafromoccupation.Adifferentkindofconnectionwasmadenearly40yearsagowhenthefrostbetweenourcountriesbegantothawthroughthesimplegameoftabletennis.Theveryunlikelynatureofthisengagementcontributedtoitssuccess--becauseforallourdifferences,bothourcommonhumanityandoursharedcuriositywererevealed.AsoneAmericanplayerdescribedhisvisittoChina--[The]peoplearejustlikeus…ThecountryisverysimilartoAmerica,butstillverydifferent.OfcoursethissmallopeningwasfollowedbytheachievementoftheShanghaiCommunique,andtheeventualestablishmentofformalrelationsbetweentheUnitedStatesandChinain1979.Andinthreedecades,justlookathowfarwehavecome.In1979,tradebetweentheUnitedStatesandChinastoodatroughly$5billion--todayittopsover$400billioneachyear.Thecommerceaffectsourpeople'slivesinsomanyways.AmericaimportsfromChinamanyofthecomputerpartsweuse,theclotheswewear;andweexporttoChinamachinerythathelpspoweryourindustry.ThistradecouldcreateevenmorejobsonbothsidesofthePacific,whileallowingourpeopletoenjoyabetterqualityoflife.Andasdemandbecomesmorebalanced,itcanleadtoevenbroaderprosperity.In1979,thepoliticalcooperationbetweentheUnitedStatesandChinawasrootedlargelyinoursharedrivalrywiththeSovietUnion.Today,wehaveapositive,constructiveandcomprehensiverelationshipthatopensthedoortopartnershiponthekeyglobalissuesofourtime--economicrecoveryandthedevelopmentofcleanenergy;stoppingthespreadofnuclearweaponsandthescourgeofclimatechange;thepromotionofpeaceandsecurityinAsiaandaroundtheglobe.AlloftheseissueswillbeontheagendatomorrowwhenImeetwithPresidentHu.Andin1979,theconnectionsamongourpeoplewerelimited.Today,weseethecuriosityofthoseping-pongplayersmanifestedinthetiesthatarebeingforgedacrossmanysectors.ThesecondhighestnumberofforeignstudentsintheUnitedStatescomefromChina,andwe'veseena50percentincreaseinthestudyofChineseamongourownstudents.Therearenearly200friendshipcitiesdrawingourcommunitiestogether.AmericanandChinesescientistscooperateonnewresearchanddiscovery.Andofcourse,YaoMingisjustonesignalofoursharedloveofbasketball--I'monlysorrythatIwon'tbeabletoseeaShanghaiSharksgamewhileI'mvisiting.Itisnocoincidencethattherelationshipbetweenourcountrieshasaccompaniedaperiodofpositivechange.Chinahasliftedhundredsofmillionsofpeopleoutofpoverty--anaccomplishmentunparalleledinhumanhistory--whileplayingalargerroleinglobalevents.AndtheUnitedStateshasseenoureconomygrowalongwiththesta