President Clinton: Thank you. Thank you, President Chen, Secretary Ren, Vice President Chi and Vice Minister Wei. Today, I am very happy to lead a huge American delegation here, including the First Lady and our daughter. She is a student of Stanford University, which is one of the schools with exchange relations with Peking University. In addition, our delegation also includes six US Congressmen, Secretary of State, Minister of Commerce, Minister of Agriculture, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, Senator Jim Sasser, Ambassador of China to China, National Security Adviser and my Chief of Staff. I mentioned these people to show that the United States attaches great importance to its relations with China. On the occasion of the centenary of Peking University, I would like to congratulate all your teachers, students, staff and administrators. Congratulations, Peking University! (Applause. As you know, this campus was once founded by American missionaries in yenching university. Many beautiful buildings in the school are designed by American architects. Thousands of American students and professors come to Peking University to study and teach. We have special feelings for you. I am glad that today is very different from an important day 79 years ago. 19 19 June, it was here that Si Tuleideng, the first president of yenching university, prepared to deliver his first graduation speech. He appeared on time, but no student arrived. In order to revitalize China's political culture, all the students took to the streets to lead the May 4th Movement. After reading this story, I hope someone will be sitting here when I walk into this auditorium today. Thank you very much for coming to my speech. (Applause. )
In the past 100 years, Peking University has grown to more than 20,000 students. Your graduates are all over China and the world. Your school has built the largest university library in Asia. Last year, 20% of your graduates went abroad for further study, of which half were students majoring in mathematics and science. In this century, more than 1 10,000 people from China, Asia and all over the world visited your website through computers. At the beginning of the new century, Peking University is leading China into the future.
You are the next generation of leaders in China. What I want to tell you today is that establishing a solid partnership between China and the United States is crucial to your future.
In the long history of thousands of years, China has made contributions to human culture, religion, philosophy, art and technology, and the American people deeply admire you. We remember the strong partnership between the two countries during the Second World War. Now we can see that China is at a historic moment: only your magnificent reforms and brighter future can compare with your glorious past.
Only 30 years ago, China was isolated from the world. At present, China has participated in more than 65,438+0,000 international organizations in areas ranging from air travel to agricultural development. Your country has opened the door to large-scale trade and investment. Today, more than 40,000 young American students are studying in the United States, and hundreds of thousands of American students are studying in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America.
The social and economic changes in your country are more remarkable, from a closed command economic system to an increasingly dynamic and market-oriented economy, which has led to unprecedented growth for 20 consecutive years, giving people greater freedom to travel at home and abroad, hold village Committee elections, own houses, choose careers and attend better schools. So, your country has helped millions of people out of poverty. In the past 10 years, the per capita income has more than doubled. Most people in China have lived a wonderful life unimaginable 20 years ago.
Of course, these changes have also disrupted the inherent life and work patterns, causing great pressure on your environment. In the past, every urban resident was guaranteed employment in state-owned enterprises. Now, you must compete in the job market. In the past, every worker in China only had to meet the requirements of Beijing central planners. Now, the global economy means that everyone must keep up with the quality and creativity of the rest of the world. For those who lack proper training, skills and support, this new world is really daunting.
Soon, some honest and diligent people will lose their jobs. As you can see, the development pattern and energy use pattern in the past 20 years have caused air pollution, deforestation, acid rain and water shortage, which has brought huge environmental, economic and medical costs.
Faced with these challenges, we must formulate new training and social security systems and adopt new policies and technologies to protect the environment, so as to improve the environment while promoting economic growth. What I have seen and heard about the wisdom, creativity and development spirit of the people of China, as well as what I have seen and heard in my talks with President Jiang and Premier Zhu in the past few days, have given me confidence. I believe you will succeed.
As you build a new China, the United States hopes to establish new relations with you. We hope to see an extraordinary, safe and open China and work with us for a peaceful and prosperous world. I know that there are people in both China and the United States who doubt whether the close relationship between the two countries is a good thing. However, the world is changing and we are facing various challenges. Everything we know tells us that cooperation between our two countries is much more beneficial than parting ways.
The late Deng Xiaoping warned us to be realistic. At the beginning of the new century, the facts are obvious. The distance between our two countries is shortening, in fact, the distance between all countries is shortening. It used to take several months for American clippers to sail to China. Today, high technology has made us, and heaven is still our neighbor. From notebook computers to laser technology, from microchips to megabyte storage, the information revolution is illuminating the field of human knowledge and connecting us more closely. As long as people tap the computer keyboard, ideas, information and funds can cross the globe, which brings great opportunities for people to create wealth, prevent diseases and deepen understanding between people with different historical and cultural backgrounds.
However, we also know that greater openness and faster changes also mean that problems arising in other countries will soon spread to our own territory, such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the threat of organized crime and drug trafficking, environmental degradation and serious economic chaos. No country can avoid these problems, and no country can solve them alone. We, especially the younger generation in China and the United States, must take meeting these common challenges as a common cause and create a brilliant new century.
2 1 century is your century. China and the United States will face the challenge of Asian security. Our two countries were enemies on the Korean peninsula, and now we are working together for a permanent peace and a nuclear-weapon-free future.
All countries in the world are getting rid of the nuclear threat, but in the Indian subcontinent, India and Pakistan are willing to risk provoking a new round of arms race. We are seeking a common strategy to make India and Pakistan stop further nuclear tests and resolve their differences through dialogue.
In the 2 1 century, your younger generation must shoulder the heavy responsibility of preventing the proliferation of more deadly nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. If such weapons fall into the wrong hands or flow into inappropriate places, the national security, big or small, will be threatened. China and the United States are more and more aware of the importance of stopping the proliferation of such weapons, so we have started to work together in Qixin to control the most dangerous weapons in the world.
In the 2 1 century, your younger generation must reverse the international countercurrent of crime and drugs. Organized criminals around the world steal billions of dollars from people every year, which undermines people's trust in the government. The American people are well aware of the destruction and despair caused by drugs to school teachers, students and community residents. China's borders are adjacent to more than a dozen countries, and it has become a channel for all kinds of stowaways.
Last year, President Jiang and I asked senior law enforcement officials of China and the United States to strengthen cooperation to crack down on these crimes, prevent money laundering, prevent foreigners from being smuggled under cruel conditions, and prevent counterfeit money from damaging the credit of money. Just this month, our anti-drug agency opened an office in Beijing. Soon, anti-drug experts from China will also work in Washington.
In the 2 1 century, the mission of your younger generation is to ensure that today's progress and development will not be at the expense of tomorrow. China's rapid growth in the past 20 years has come at the cost of being poisoned, that is, the drinking water and the air your people breathe have been polluted. This price is not only reflected in the environment, but also seriously harms people's health and hinders economic development.
Environmental problems are becoming more and more global and nationalized. For example, in the near future, if the current energy use pattern is not changed, China will surpass the United States to become the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are the main cause of global warming. If countries around the world do not reduce the gas emissions that cause global warming, there will be a serious threat of rapid climate change at some point in the next century, which will change our way of life and work, some island countries will be submerged, and the economic and social structures of some countries will be destroyed.
We must actively cooperate. Experience tells us that Americans can protect the environment while promoting economic growth. We must do this for ourselves and for the world.
Our Vice President Al Gore has done a lot of work in cooperation with the China government. On this basis, President Jiang and I are discussing how to promote American clean energy technology in China to promote China's economic development and improve China's air quality.
But I want to reiterate-this is not the content of my speech-that your generation must do more in this regard. This is a great challenge to you, the American people and the future of the world. This problem must be raised in universities, because political leaders are unwilling to take environmental protection measures if they think it will lead to a large number of unemployment or serious poverty. Facts have proved that environmental protection will not cause unemployment and poverty. If our method is correct, people will achieve faster economic growth, have higher-paying jobs and promote the development of education and science and technology to a higher level. However, you college students and your universities, China and the United States, and people all over the world must take the lead. (Applause. )
In the 2 1 century, you must shoulder the heavy responsibility of an international financial system without borders. When the stock markets in Hong Kong and Jakarta fell, the impact was no longer local, but global. Therefore, your dynamic economic growth is closely related to the restoration of stability and economic development in the entire Asia-Pacific region.
In the recent financial crisis, China unswervingly assumed its responsibilities to the region and the world, helping to avoid another dangerous currency depreciation cycle. We must continue to work together to deal with the threats to the global financial system and the development and prosperity of the entire Asia-Pacific region.
In the 2 1 century, your generation will have great opportunities to combine the talents of our scientists, doctors and engineers and pursue the same development. We have made breakthroughs in some areas of cooperation, including the treatment of spina bifida and the prediction of bad weather and earthquakes. These breakthroughs prove that as long as we work together, we can change the lives of millions of people in China, the United States and even the world. Expanding our cooperation in the field of science and technology is a gift for the future.
In each of the key areas listed above, it is obvious that we can achieve greater success as long as we cooperate with each other instead of staying away from each other. Therefore, we should strive to ensure that the current constructive relationship between the two sides will bear the fruits of successful cooperation in the next century.
To do this, we must know each other better and understand our respective interests, expectations and sincere differences. I believe everyone saw it on TV. At the joint press conference on Saturday, President Jiang and I had a frank and direct exchange, which helped to clarify and narrow our differences. More importantly, letting people understand, debate and discuss these issues can make them more confident to build a better future for us.
Looking out from the window of the White House in Washington, D.C., where I live, the monument to our first president George Washington overlooks the whole city. This is a towering square spire. Next to this huge monument, there is a small stone tablet engraved with the inscription: the United States will never establish titles of nobility and royalty, nor will it establish a hereditary system. State affairs are decided by public opinion.
In this way, the United States has established an unprecedented new political system. This is the most wonderful thing. These words were not written by Americans, but by Governor Xu of Fujian, and were carved into an inscription 1853 by the China government as a gift to the United States.
I am very grateful to China for this gift. It expresses the voice of all the American people, that is, everyone has the right to life and freedom, the right to pursue happiness, the freedom to debate and hold different opinions, the freedom to form associations, and the freedom of religious belief without state interference. These were the core ideals of America 220 years ago. These ideals guide us across the American continent and onto the world stage. These ideals are still cherished by the American people today.
As I said at the press conference with President Jiang, we Americans are constantly seeking to realize these ideals. The framers of the American Constitution know that we can't be perfect. They said that the mission of the United States has always been to "build a more perfect union." In other words, we can never be perfect, but we must constantly improve.
Whenever we give up our efforts for continuous progress, whenever we deprive our people of their freedom because of their race or religion, because they are new immigrants, or because some people hold unpopular views, our history has the darkest moment. Whenever we protect the freedom of those who hold unpopular opinions, or give the rights enjoyed by most people to those who have been deprived of their rights before, so as to realize the promises of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, instead of making them a dead letter, our history will have its brightest moment.
Today, we do not seek to impose our views on others, but we firmly believe that certain rights are universal. They are not the rights of the United States or Europe or developed countries, but the inherent rights of all people. These rights are now enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. These are the right to treat others with dignity, the right to express opinions, the right to elect leaders, the right to freedom of association, and the right to freely choose whether to believe in religion.
Thomas jackson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of our country, wrote in his last letter: "People are opening their eyes to pay attention to human rights." After Jackson wrote this sentence 172, I believe people finally opened their eyes to pay attention to the human rights that men and women all over the world should enjoy.
Over the past 20 years, the surging wave of freedom has liberated millions of lives, swept away the failed dictatorships in the former Soviet Union and Central Europe, ended the vicious circle of military coups and civil wars in Latin American countries, and enabled more African people to enjoy hard-won independence. From the Philippines to South Korea, from Thailand to Mongolia, the wave of freedom has flocked to the Asian coast, injecting momentum into development and productivity.
Economic security should also be an element of freedom. The United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights confirms this. In China, you have taken a big step to cultivate this freedom, ensuring that you will not suffer from want and become a source of strength for your people. The income of China people has increased and poverty has decreased; People have more opportunities to choose employment and travel, and have the opportunity to create a better life. But true freedom is not only economic freedom. We Americans think this is an inseparable concept.
In the past four days, I have seen many forms of freedom in China. I saw the seeds of democracy in a village in your mainland. I visited a village where the leader of the village committee was freely elected. I also saw mobile phones, video recorders and fax machines, which brought ideas, information and images from all over the world. I heard people express their thoughts, and I prayed with the local people for the religious belief I chose. In all these aspects, I feel the breeze of freedom blowing.
But people can't help asking, what is our development direction? How can we cooperate with each other and embark on the correct side of history? Professor Hu Shi, one of the great political thinkers in your university, said more than 50 years ago: "I was told that you must sacrifice personal freedom for the freedom of the country." But I replied that fighting for personal freedom is fighting for national freedom. Fighting for individuality means fighting for national character. "
We Americans think Hu Shi is right. We believe that our experience shows that freedom strengthens stability and contributes to the transformation of the country.
Benjamin Franklin, the father of our country, once said, "Those who criticize us are our friends because they point out our shortcomings." If this statement is correct, many times in the United States, the president has more friends than anyone else.
(Laughter. ) But it's true.
In the world we live in, the global information age, continuous improvement and change are necessary conditions for increasing economic opportunities and national strength. Therefore, allowing information, ideas and opinions to flow freely and respecting different political and religious beliefs will actually increase strength and promote stability.
Therefore, for the fundamental interests of your country and the world, young people in China must enjoy spiritual freedom in order to fully develop their potential. This is the information of our times and the requirement of the new century and the new millennium.
I hope China will fully agree to this request. Although your country has made brilliant achievements in history, I think your greatest era is still ahead. China not only survived all kinds of difficulties and obstacles in the 20th century, but also made rapid progress.
Other ancient cultures died because they did not change. China has always demonstrated its ability to change and develop. You must re-imagine China in the new century. Your generation must be the center of China's revival.
We are about to enter the new century. All our eyes are on the future. Even if your country counts its history in a thousand years, even if the United States counts its history in a hundred years, your country's history is even longer. However, China today is as young as any other country. The new century will be the dawn of a new China. Your country is proud of its greatness in history, proud of its cause and even more proud of the arrival of tomorrow. In the new century, the world may turn to China again, seeking the vitality of her culture, the novelty of her thoughts and the sublimation of human dignity, which is obvious in China's achievements. In the new century, the oldest countries may help build a new world.
The United States hopes to cooperate with your country to make this moment a reality.
Thank you all. (Applause. )