名人经典英文演讲奥巴马在上海与中国青年对话会中英文文档格式.docx
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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.Therearenearly200"
friendshipcities"
drawingourcommunitiestogether.AmericanandChinesescientistscooperateonnewresearchanddiscovery.Andofcourse,YaoMingisjustonesignalofoursharedloveofbasketball--I'
monlysorrythatIwon'
tbeabletoseeaShanghaiSharksgamewhileI'
mvisiting.
Itisnocoincidencethattherelationshipbetweenourcountrieshasaccompaniedaperiodofpositivechange.Chinahasliftedhundredsofmillionsofpeopleoutofpoverty--anaccomplishmentunparalleledinhumanhistory--whileplayingalargerroleinglobalevents.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,thestoryofournationisnotwithoutitsdifficultchapters.Inmanyways--overmanyyears--wehavestruggledtoadvancethepromiseoftheseprinciplestoallofourpeople,andtoforgeamoreperfectunion.Wefoughtaverypainfulcivilwar,andfreedaportionofourpopulationfromslavery.Ittooktimeforwomentobeextendedtherighttovote,workerstowintherighttoorganize,andforimmigrantsfromdifferentcornersoftheglobetobefullyembraced.Evenaftertheywerefreed,AfricanAmericansperseveredthroughconditionsthatwereseparateandnotequal,beforewinningfullandequalrights.Noneofthiswaseasy.Butwemadeprogressbecauseofourbeliefinthosecoreprinciples,whichhaveservedasourcompassthroughthedarkestofstorms.ThatiswhyLincolncouldstandupinthemidstofcivilwaranddeclareitastruggletoseewhetheranynation,conceivedinliberty,and"
dedicatedtothepropositionthatallmenarecreatedequal"
couldlongendure.ThatiswhyDr.MartinLutherKingcouldstandonthestepsoftheLincolnMemorialandaskthatournationliveoutthetruemeaningofitscreed.That'
swhyimmigrantsfromChinatoKenyacouldfindahomeonourshores;
whyopportunityisavailabletoallwhowouldworkforit;
andwhysomeonelikeme,wholessthan50yearsagowouldhavehadtroublevotinginsomepartsofAmerica,isnowabletoserveasitsPresident.
AndthatiswhyAmericawillalwaysspeakoutforthesecoreprinciplesaroundtheworld.Wedonotseektoimposeanysystemofgovernmentonanyothernation,butwealsodon'
tbelievethattheprinciplesthatwestandforareuniquetoournation.Thesefreedomsofexpressionandworship--ofaccesstoinformationandpoliticalparticipation--webelieveareuniversalrights.Theyshouldbeavailabletoallpeople,includingethnicandreligiousminorities--whethertheyareintheUnitedStates,China,oranynation.Indeed,itisthatrespectforuniversalrightsthatguidesAmerica'
sopennesstoothercountries;
ourrespectfordifferentcultures;
ourcommitmenttointernationallaw;
andourfaithinthefuture.
TheseareallthingsthatyoushouldknowaboutAmerica.IalsoknowthatwehavemuchtolearnaboutChina.Lookingaroundatthismagnificentcity--andlookingaroundthisroom--Idobelievethatournation