U.S. President Barack Obama expects his first visit to China will deepen his understanding of the country and its vision for the future. He also stressed the importance of bilateral ties at a town hall styled meeting with Chinese students in Shanghai, saying that very few global challenges can be solved unless the United States and China can work together.
Wang Ling reports from Shanghai.
In review of the bilateral relations, President Obama underscored the cooperation between the two countries that has enabled both nations to be more prosperous and more secure in spite of setbacks and challenges over the last thirty years.(www.hXen.com)
"Our relationship has not been without disagreement and difficulty. But the notion that we must be adversaries is not predestined now when we consider the past. Indeed, because of our cooperation, both United State and China are more prosperous and more secure. We have seen what is possible when we build on our mutual interests and engage on the basis of mutual respect."
Obama stressed that the success of engagement depends on mutual understanding and learning from one another. He told students that the United States welcomes China as a strong, prosperous, and successful member of the international community to address global issues.
"I have said many times that our world are fundamentally interconnected. The jobs we do, the prosperity we build, the environment we protect and the security we seek, all of these things we shared. Given that interconnection, power in the 21 century is no longer zero-sum game. One country's success need not come at the expense of another. That is why the United States insists we do not seek to contain China's rise, on the contrary, we welcome China as a strong and prosperous and successful member of the community of nations, a China that draws on the rights, strengths and creativity of individual Chinese like you."
Obama urged the younger generation to continue the commitments of building bridges between the two countries, adding that the United States would expand the number of students studying in China to 100,000. The president said cooperation must be rooted in people from both sides, especially in the younger generation.
"I strongly believe the cooperation must go beyond our government. It must be rooted in our people, in the studies we share, the business that we do, the knowledge that we gain, and even in the sports that we play, and these bridges must be built by young men and women just like you and your counterparts in America."
After his opening remarks, President Obama took questions from students which covered a wide range of issues including China-US relations and his reflections on winning the Noble Peace Prize.
