President Obama:
(greets the audience in Chinese) (applause) Good afternoon. It is a great honor for
me to be here in Shanghai, and to have this opportunity
to speak with all of you. I'd like to thank Fudan
University'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 to China, and I'm excited to see
this majestic country. Here, in Shanghai, 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 of China's journey to the 21st century, I'm eager
to see those ancient places that speak to us from
China's distant past. Tomorrow and the next day I hope
to have a chance when I'm in Beijing to see the majesty
of the Forbidden City and 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 the United States and China. It was here, 37 years ago, that
the Shanghai Communique 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 of America'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. Washington wanted to see the
ship carry the flag around the globe, and to forge new ties
with nations like China. 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 liberate China
from 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 to China -- "[The] people are just like
us...The country is very similar to America, but still
very different." Of course this small opening was
followed by the achievement of the Shanghai Communique, and the
eventual establishment of formal relations between the United
States and China in 1979. And in three decades, just
look at how far we have come. In 1979, trade between the
United States and China stood at roughly $5 billion -- today it tops over $400 billion each year. The commerce affects our
people's lives in so many ways. America imports from China many
of the computer parts we use, the clothes we wear; and we
export to China machinery 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 the United States and China was rooted
largely in our shared rivalry with the Soviet 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 the United States come from China, and
we've seen a 50% 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. China has lifted hundreds
of millions of people out of poverty -- an accomplishment unparalleled in human history -- while playing a larger
role in global events. And the United States has 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 the United States and China
are 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. And yet the success of that
engagement depends upon understanding -- on
sustaining an open dialogue, and learning about one
another and from one another. For just as that American table
tennis player pointed out -- we share much in
common as human beings, but our countries are
different in certain ways. I believe that each country
must chart its own course. China is an ancient nation,
with a deeply rooted culture. The United States, by
comparison, is a young nation, whose culture is determined by
the many different immigrants who have come to our shores, and
by the founding documents that guide our democracy. Those documents put forward a
simple vision of human affairs, and they enshrine several
core principles -- that all men and women
are created equal, and possess certain
fundamental rights; that government should reflect
the will of the people and respond to their wishes;
that commerce should be open, information freely
accessible; and that laws, and not simply men, should
guarantee the administration of justice. Of course, the story of our
nation is not without its difficult chapters. In many ways --
over many years -- we have struggled to advance the
promise of these principles to all of our people, and to
forge a more perfect union. We fought a very
painful civil war, and freed a portion of our
population from slavery. It took time for women to be
extended the right to vote, workers to win the
right to organize, and for immigrants from
different corners of the globe to be fully embraced. Even after they were freed,
African Americans persevered through conditions that
were separate and not equal, before winning full
and equal rights. None of this was easy. But we made progress because
of our belief in those core principles, which have served as
our compass through the darkest of storms. That is why Lincoln could stand
up in the midst of civil war and declare it a struggle to
see whether any nation, conceived in liberty, and
"dedicated to the proposition that all men are created
equal" could long endure. That is why Dr. Martin Luther
King could stand on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and ask
that our nation live out the true meaning of its creed. That's why immigrants from China
to Kenya could find a home on our shores; why opportunity is
available to all who would work for it; and why someone like me,
who less than 50 years ago would have had trouble voting
in some parts of America, is now able to serve
as its President. And that is why America will
always speak out for those core principles around the world. We do not seek to impose any
system of government on any other nation, but we also don't
believe that the principles that we stand for are
unique to our nation. These freedoms of
expression and worship -- of access to information and
political participation -- we believe are universal rights. They should be
available to all people, including ethnic and
religious minorities -- whether they are in the United
States, China, or any nation. Indeed, it is that respect for
universal rights that guides America's openness
to other countries; our respect for
different cultures; our commitment to
international law; and our faith in the future. These are all things that you
should know about America. I also know that we have
much to learn about China. Looking around at this
magnificent city -- and looking around this room -- I do believe that our nations hold something
important in common, and that is a belief
in the future. Neither the United States nor
China is content to rest on our achievements. For while China is
an ancient nation, you are also clearly looking
ahead with confidence, ambition, and a commitment to see that
tomorrow's generation can do better than today's. In addition to your
growing economy, we admire China's extraordinary
commitment to science and research -- a commitment borne out in everything from the infrastructure you build
to the technology you use. China is now the world's
largest Internet user -- which is why we were so pleased
to include the Internet as part of today's event. This country now has the world's
largest mobile phone network, and it is investing in the new
forms of energy that can both sustain growth and
combat climate change -- and I'm looking forward to
deepening the partnership between the United States and
China in this critical area tomorrow. But above all, I see
China's future in you -- young people whose talent and
dedication and dreams will do so much to help shape
the 21st century. I've said many times that I
believe that our world is now fundamentally interconnected. The jobs we do, the
prosperity we build, the environment we protect,
the security that we seek -- all of these things are shared. And given that interconnection,
power in the 21st century is no longer a zero-sum game; one
country's success need not come at the expense of another. And 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. To return to the proverb
-- consider the past. We know that more is to be
gained when great powers cooperate than
when they collide. That is a lesson that human
beings have learned time and again, and that is the example
of the history between our nations. And I believe strongly that
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. That's why I'm pleased to
announce that the United States will dramatically expand the
number of our students who study in China to 100,000. And these exchanges mark a clear
commitment to build ties among our people, as surely as you
will help determine the destiny of the 21st century. And I'm absolutely confident
that America has no better ambassadors to offer
than our young people. For they, just like you, are
filled with talent and energy and optimism about the history
that is yet to be written. So let this be the next step
in the steady pursuit of cooperation that will serve
our nations, and the world. And if there's one thing that we
can take from today's dialogue, I hope that it is a commitment
to continue this dialogue going forward. So thank you very much. And I look forward now to taking
some questions for all of you. Thank you very much. (applause) So the -- (President Obama
touches the microphone) I just want to make
sure this works. This is a tradition, by the
way, that is very common in the United States at these
town hall meetings. And what we're going
to do is I will just -- if you are interested
in asking a question, you can raise your hands. I will call on you. And then I will alternate
between a question from the audience and an Internet
question from one of the students who prepared
the questions, as well as I think Ambassador
Huntsman may have a question that we were able to obtain from
the Web site of our embassy. So let me begin,
though, by seeing -- and then what I'll do is I'll
call on a boy and then a girl and then -- so we'll go back and forth, so that you know it's fair. All right? So I'll start with this young
lady right in the front. Here, why don't we wait for this
microphone so everyone can hear you. And what's your name? Audience Member:
My name is -- (inaudible)
-- and I'm a student from Fudan University. Shanghai and Chicago have
been sister cities since 1985, and these two cities have
conduct a wide range of economic, political,
and cultural exchanges. So what measures will you
take to deepen this close relationship between cities of
the United States and China? And Shanghai will hold the
World Exposition next year. Will you bring your
family to visit the Expo? Thank you. President Obama:
Well, thank you very
much for the question. I was just having lunch before
I came here with the Mayor of Shanghai, and he told me
that he has had an excellent relationship with the city of Chicago -- my home town -- that he's visited there twice. And I think it's wonderful to
have these exchanges between cities. One of the things that I
discussed with the Mayor is how both cities can learn from each
other on strategies around clean energy, because one of the
issues that ties China and America together is how, with
an expanding population and a concern for climate change, that
we're able to reduce our carbon footprint. And obviously in the United
States and many developed countries, per capita,
per individual, they are already using much more
energy than each individual here in China. But as China grows and expands,
it's going to be using more energy as well. So both countries have a
great interest in finding new strategies. We talked about mass transit and
the excellent rail lines that are being developed in Shanghai. I think we can learn in
Chicago some of the -- and the United States -- some of the fine work that's being done on high-speed rail. In the United States, I think
we are learning how to develop buildings that use
much less energy, that are much more
energy-efficient. And I know that with Shanghai,
as I traveled and I saw all the cranes and all the new
buildings that are going up, it's very important for us to
start incorporating these new technologies so that each
building is energy-efficient when it comes to lighting,
when it comes to heating. And so it's a terrific
opportunity I think for us to learn from each other. I know this is going to be a
major focus of the Shanghai World Expo, is the
issue of clean energy, as I learned from the Mayor. And so I would love to attend. I'm not sure yet what my
schedule is going to be, but I'm very pleased that we're
going to have an excellent U.S. pavilion at the Expo, and I
understand that we expect as many as 70 million
visitors here. So it's going to be very crowded
and it's going to be very exciting. Chicago has had two world
expos in its history, and both of those expos ended up
being tremendous boosts for the city. So I'm sure the same thing
will happen here in Shanghai. Thank you. (applause) Why don't we get one of the
questions from the Internet? And introduce
yourself, in case -- Translator:
First shall I say it in Chinese, and then the English, okay? President Obama:
Yes. Online Question (as translated):
I'm -- (inaudible)
-- from Shanghai -- (inaudible) -- University. I want to pose a question
from the Internet. I want to thank
you, Mr. President, for visiting China in
your first year in office, and exchange views
with us in China. I want to know what are
you bringing to China, your visit to China this time,
and what will you bring back to the United States? (translation made
to President Obama) President Obama:
Okay. The -- well -- (applause) The main purpose of my trip is to deepen my understanding of China and its vision
for the future. I have had several meetings
now with President Hu. We participated together in the
G20 summit that was dealing with the economic financial crisis. We have had consultations
about a wide range of issues. But I think it's very important
for the United States to continually deepen its
understanding of China, just as it's important for
China to continually deepen its understanding of
the United States. In terms of what I'd like
to get out of this meeting, or this visit, in addition to
having the wonderful opportunity to see the Forbidden
City and the Great Wall, and to meet with all of you -- these are all highlights -- (microphone feedback) Oh -- these are all highlights, but in addition to that, the discussions that I intend to have with President Hu speak to the point that Ambassador Huntsman made earlier, which is there are very few global challenges that can be solved unless the United
States and China agree. So let me give you
a specific example, and that is the issue we were
just discussing of climate change. The United States and China are
the world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, of carbon
that is causing the planet to warm. Now, the United States, as
a highly developed country, as I said before, per capita,
consumes much more energy and emits much more greenhouse gases
for each individual than does China. On the other hand, China is
growing at a much faster pace and it has a much
larger population. So unless both of our countries
are willing to take critical steps in dealing
with this issue, we will not be
able to resolve it. There's going to be a Copenhagen
conference in December in which world leaders are trying to find
a recipe so that we can all make commitments that are
differentiated so each country would not have the
same obligations -- obviously China, which
has much more poverty, should not have to do exactly
the same thing as the United States -- but all of us should have these certain obligations in terms of what our plan will be to reduce these greenhouse gases. So that's an example of what I
hope to get out of this meeting -- a meeting of the minds between myself and President Hu about how together the United States and China can show leadership. Because I will tell you, other
countries around the world will be waiting for us. They will watch
to see what we do. And if they say, ah, you know,
the United States and China, they're not serious about this,
then they won't be serious either. That is the burden of leadership
that both of our countries now carry. And my hope is, is that the more
discussion and dialogue that we have, the more we are able to
show this leadership to the world on these many
critical issues. Okay? All right, it's a -- (applause) I think it must be
a boy's turn now. Right? So I'll call on this
young man right here. Let me get my -- Audience Member (as translated): Mr. President, good afternoon. I'm from Tongji University. I want to cite a saying from
Confucius: "It is always good to have a friend coming from afar." In Confucius books, there is
a great saying which says that harmony is good, but also
we uphold differences. China advocates a
harmonious world. We know that the United States
develops a culture that features diversity. I want to know, what will
your government do to build a diversified world with
different cultures? What would you do to respect the
different cultures and histories of other countries? And what kinds of cooperation
we can conduct in the future? President Obama:
This is an excellent point. The United States, one of our
strengths is that we are a very diverse culture. We have people coming
from all around the world. And so there's no one definition
of what an American looks like. In my own family, I have a
father who was from Kenya; I have a mother who
was from Kansas, in the Midwest of
the United States; my sister is half-Indonesian;
she's married to a Chinese person from Canada. So when you see family
gatherings in the Obama household, it looks
like the United Nations. (laughter) And that is a great strength
of the United States, because it means that we learn
from different cultures and different foods and
different ideas, and that has made us a
much more dynamic society. Now, what is also true is
that each country in this interconnected world has its own
culture and its own history and its own traditions. And I think it's very important
for the United States not to assume that what is good for
us is automatically good for somebody else. And we have to have some modesty
about our attitudes towards other countries. I have to say, though, as I
said in my opening remarks, that we do believe that
there are certain fundamental principles that are
common to all people, regardless of culture. So, for example, in the United
Nations we are very active in trying to make sure that
children all around the world are treated with
certain basic rights -- that if children
are being exploited, if there's forced
labor for children, that despite the fact that that
may have taken place in the past in many different countries,
including the United States, that all countries of the world
now should have developed to the point where we are treating
children better than we did in the past. That's a universal value. I believe, for example, the same
thing holds true when it comes to the treatment of women. I had a very interesting
discussion with the Mayor of Shanghai during lunch
right before I came, and he informed me that in many
professions now here in China, there are actually more women
enrolled in college than there are men, and that they
are doing very well. I think that is an excellent
indicator of progress, because it turns out that if you
look at development around the world, one of the best
indicators of whether or not a country does well is how well
it educates its girls and how it treats its women. And countries that are tapping
into the talents and the energy of women and giving them
educations typically do better economically than
countries that don't. So, now, obviously different
cultures may have different attitudes about the relationship
between men and women, but I think it is the view of
the United States that it is important for us to affirm the
rights of women all around the world. And if we see certain societies
in which women are oppressed, or they are not
getting opportunities, or there is violence towards
women, we will speak out. Now, there may be some
people who disagree with us, and we can have a
dialogue about that. But we think it's
important, nevertheless, to be true to our
ideals and our values. And we -- and when
we do so, though, we will always do so with the humility and understanding that we are not perfect and that we still have much progress to make. If you talk to women in America,
they will tell you that there are still men who have a lot of
old-fashioned ideas about the role of women in society. And so we don't claim that we
have solved all these problems, but we do think that it's
important for us to speak out on behalf of these universal ideals
and these universal values. Okay? All right. We're going to take a
question from the Internet. Internet Question Reader:
Hello, Mr. President. It's a great honor to be
here and meet you in person. President Obama:
Thank you. Internet Question Reader:
My name's -- (inaudible) -- I'm from Shanghai International -- (inaudible) -- University. I will be reading questions selected on the Internet to you, and this question is from
somebody from Taiwan. In his question, he
said: I come from Taiwan. Now I am doing business
on the mainland. And due to improved
cross-straits relations in recent years, my business in
China is doing quite well. So when I heard the news that
some people in America would like to propose -- continue selling arms and weapons to Taiwan, I begin to
get pretty worried. I worry that this may make our
cross-straits relations suffer. So I would like to
know if, Mr. President, are you supportive of improved
cross-straits relations? And although this question is
from a businessman, actually, it's a question of keen concern
to all of us young Chinese students, so we'd really like
to know your position on this question. Thank you. President Obama:
Thank you. (applause) Well, I have been clear in the
past that my administration fully supports a
one-China policy, as reflected in the three joint
communiqués that date back several decades, in terms of our
relations with Taiwan as well as our relations with the
People's Republic of China. We don't want to change that
policy and that approach. I am very pleased with the
reduction of tensions and the improvement in
cross-straits relations, and it is my deep desire and
hope that we will continue to see great improvement between
Taiwan and the rest of -- and the People's Republic in
resolving many of these issues. One of the things that I
think that the United States, in terms of its foreign policy
and its policy with respect to China, is always seeking is
ways that through dialogue and negotiations, problems
can be solved. We always think that's
the better course. And I think that economic ties
and commercial ties that are taking place in this region are
helping to lower a lot of the tensions that date back before
you were born or even before I was born. Now, there are some people who
still look towards the past when it comes to these issues, as
opposed to looking towards the future. I prefer to look
towards the future. And as I said, I think the
commercial ties that are taking place -- there's something about when people think that they can do business and make money that
makes them think very clearly and not worry as
much about ideology. And I think that that's starting
to happen in this region, and we are very supportive
of that process. Okay? Let's see, it's a
girl's turn now, right? Yes, right there. Yes. Hold on, let's get -- whoops, I'm sorry, they took the mic back here. I'll call on you next. Go ahead, and then
I'll go up here later. Go ahead. It's all right; please. Audience Member:
Thank you. President Obama:
I'll call on you later. But I'll on her first and then
I'll call on you afterwards. Go ahead. Audience Member:
Okay, thank you. Mr. President, I'm a student
from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Since you have -- I have a question concerning the Nobel Prize for Peace. In your opinion, what's the main
reason that you were honored the Nobel Prize for Peace? And will it give you more
responsibility and pressure to -- more pressure and the responsibility to promote world peace? And will it bring you -- will
it influence your ideas while dealing with the
international affairs? Thank you very much. President Obama:
Thank you. That was an excellent question. I have to say that nobody was
more surprised than me about winning the Nobel
Prize for Peace. Obviously it's a great honor. I don't believe necessarily
that it's an honor I deserve, given the extraordinary history
of people who have won the prize. All I can do is to,
with great humility, accept the fact that I think the
committee was inspired by the American people and the
possibilities of changing not only America but also America's
approach to the world. And so in some ways I think they
gave me the prize but I was more just a symbol of the shift in
our approach to world affairs that we are trying to promote. In terms of the
burden that I feel, I am extraordinarily honored
to be put in the position of President. And as my wife always reminds me
when I complain that I'm working too hard, she says, you
volunteered for this job. (laughter) And so you --
there's a saying -- I don't know if there's a
similar saying in China -- we have a saying:
"You made your bed, now you have to sleep in it." And it basically means you have
to be careful what you ask for because you might get it. I think that all of us have
obligations for trying to promote peace in the world. It's not always easy to do. There are still a lot of
conflicts in the world that are -- date back for centuries. If you look at the Middle East,
there are wars and conflict that are rooted in arguments
going back a thousand years. In many parts of the
world -- let's say, in the continent of Africa -- there are ethnic and tribal conflicts that are
very hard to resolve. And obviously, right now, as
President of the United States, part of my job is to serve
as Commander-in-Chief, and my first priority is to
protect the American people. And because of the attacks on
9/11 and the terrorism that has been taking place around the
world where innocent people are being killed, it is my
obligation to make sure that we root out these
terrorist organizations, and that we cooperate with other
countries in terms of dealing with this kind of violence. Nevertheless, although I
don't think that we can ever completely eliminate violence
between nations or between peoples, I think that we can
definitely reduce the violence between peoples --
through dialogue, through the exchange of ideas, through greater understanding between peoples and
between cultures. And particularly now when just
one individual can detonate a bomb that causes so
much destruction, it is more important than ever
that we pursue these strategies for peace. Technology is a powerful
instrument for good, but it has also given the
possibility for just a few people to cause enormous damage. And that's why I'm hopeful that
in my meetings with President Hu and on an ongoing basis, both
the United States and China can work together to try to reduce
conflicts that are taking place. We have to do so, though, also
keeping in mind that when we use our military, because we're
such big and strong countries, that we have to be
self-reflective about what we do; that we have to examine
our own motives and our own interests to make sure that
we are not simply using our military forces because
nobody can stop us. That's a burden that great
countries, great powers, have, is to act responsibly in
the community of nations. And my hope is, is that the
United States and China together can help to create an
international norms that reduce conflict around the world. Okay? All right? (applause) Jon -- I'm going to call on my Ambassador because I think he has a question that was
generated through the Web site of our embassy. This was selected, though, by I
think one of the members of our U.S. press corps so that -- Ambassador Huntsman:
That's right. And not surprisingly, "in
a country with 350 million Internet users and
60 million bloggers, do you know of the firewall?" And second, "should we be
able to use Twitter freely" -- is the question. President Obama:
Well, first of all, let me say that I have never used Twitter. I notice that young people -- they're very busy with all these electronics. My thumbs are too clumsy to
type in things on the phone. But I am a big believer in
technology and I'm a big believer in openness when
it comes to the flow of information. I think that the more
freely information flows, the stronger the
society becomes, because then citizens of
countries around the world can hold their own
governments accountable. They can begin to
think for themselves. That generates new ideas. It encourages creativity. And so I've always been a strong
supporter of open Internet use. I'm a big supporter
of non-censorship. This is part of the tradition
of the United States that I discussed before, and I
recognize that different countries have
different traditions. I can tell you that
in the United States, the fact that we
have free Internet -- or unrestricted Internet
access is a source of strength, and I think should
be encouraged. Now, I should tell you,
I should be honest, as President of
the United States, there are times where I wish
information didn't flow so freely because then I wouldn't
have to listen to people criticizing me all the time. I think people naturally are -- when they're in positions of power sometimes thinks, oh, how could that person say that about me, or that's
irresponsible, or -- but the truth is that because in
the United States information is free, and I have a lot of
critics in the United States who can say all kinds
of things about me, I actually think that that makes
our democracy stronger and it makes me a better leader because
it forces me to hear opinions that I don't want to hear. It forces me to examine what I'm
doing on a day-to-day basis to see, am I really doing the very
best that I could be doing for the people of the United States. And I think the Internet has
become an even more powerful tool for that kind of
citizen participation. In fact, one of the reasons that
I won the presidency was because we were able to mobilize young
people like yourself to get involved through the Internet. Initially, nobody thought we
could win because we didn't have necessarily the most
wealthy supporters; we didn't have the most
powerful political brokers. But through the Internet,
people became excited about our campaign and they started to
organize and meet and set up campaign activities
and events and rallies. And it really ended up creating
the kind of bottom-up movement that allowed us to do very well. Now, that's not just true in -- for government and politics. It's also true for business. You think about a company like
Google that only 20 years ago was -- less than 20 years ago -- was the idea of a couple of people not much older than you. It was a science project. And suddenly because
of the Internet, they were able to create an
industry that has revolutionized commerce all around the world. So if it had not been for the
freedom and the openness that the Internet allows,
Google wouldn't exist. So I'm a big supporter of
not restricting Internet use, Internet access, other
information technologies like Twitter. The more open we are, the
more we can communicate. And it also helps to
draw the world together. Think about -- when I
think about my daughters, Malia and Sasha --
one's 11, one is eight -- from their room, they can get on
the Internet and they can travel to Shanghai. They can go anyplace in the
world and they can learn about anything they want
to learn about. And that's just an enormous
power that they have. And that helps, I think, promote
the kind of understanding that we talked about. Now, as I said before, there's
always a downside to technology. It also means that terrorists
are able to organize on the Internet in ways that they might
not have been able to do before. Extremists can mobilize. And so there's some price
that you pay for openness, there's no denying that. But I think that the good
outweighs the bad so much that it's better to
maintain that openness. And that's part of why I'm so
glad that the Internet was part of this forum. Okay? I'm going to take
two more questions. And the next one is from a gentleman, I think, right? Right here, yes. Here's the microphone. Audience Member:
First, I'd like to say that it is a great honor for me to stand here to ask you the questions. I think I am so lucky and just
appreciate that your speech is so clear that I really do not
need such kind of headset. (laughter) And here comes my question. My name is -- (inaudible) -- from Fudan University School of Management. And I would like to
ask you the question -- is that now that someone has
asked you something about the Nobel Peace Prize, but I will
not ask you in the same aspect. I want to ask you in the other
aspect that since it is very hard for you to get such
kind of an honorable prize, and I wonder and we
all wonder that -- how you struggled to get it. And what's your
university/college education that brings you to get
such kind of prizes? And we are very curious about it and we'd like to invite you to share with us your campus education experiences so as to go on the road of success. President Obama:
Well, first of all, let me tell you that I don't know if there's a curriculum or course of study
that leads you to win the Nobel Peace Prize. (laughter) So I can't guarantee that. But I think the recipe for
success is the one that you are already following. Obviously all of you
are working very hard, you're studying very hard. You're curious. You're willing to think
about new ideas and think for yourself. You know, the people who I meet
now that I find most inspiring who are successful I think are
people who are not only willing to work very hard but are
constantly trying to improve themselves and to
think in new ways, and not just accept the
conventional wisdom. Obviously there are many
different paths to success, and some of you are going to be
going into government service; some of you might want to
be teachers or professors; some of you might want
to be businesspeople. But I think that whatever
field you go into, if you're constantly trying to
improve and never satisfied with not having done your best, and
constantly asking new questions -- "Are there things that I
could be doing differently? Are there new approaches to
problems that nobody's thought of before, whether it's in
science or technology or in the arts?" -- those are usually the people who I think are able to rise above the rest. The one last piece
of advice, though, that I would have that has been
useful for me is the people who I admire the most and
are most successful, they're not just thinking only
about themselves but they're also thinking about something
larger than themselves. So they want to make a
contribution to society. They want to make a contribution
to their country, their nation, their city. They are interested in having
an impact beyond their own immediate lives. I think so many of us, we get
caught up with wanting to make money for ourselves and have a
nice car and have a nice house and -- all those
things are important, but the people who really
make their mark on the world, it's because they have
a bigger ambition. They say, how can I
help feed hungry people? Or, how can I help to teach
children who don't have an education? Or, how can I bring about
peaceful resolution of conflicts? Those are the people I think
who end up making such a big difference in the world. And I'm sure that young people
like you are going to be able to make that kind of difference as
long as you keep working the way you've been working. All right? All right, this is going
to be the last question, unfortunately. We've run out of
time so quickly. Our last Internet question,
because I want to make sure that we got all three of
our fine students here. Internet Question Reader:
Mr. President, it's a great honor for the last question. And I'm a college student
from Fudan University, and today I'm also the representative of China's Youth -- (inaudible). And this question I think
is from Beijing: Paid great attention to your
Afghanistan policies, and he would like to know whether terrorism is still the greatest security concern
for the United States? And how do you assess the
military actions in Afghanistan, or whether it will turn
into another Iraqi war? Thank you very much. President Obama:
I think that's an
excellent question. Well, first of all, I do
continue to believe that the greatest threat to United
States' security are the terrorist networks
like al Qaeda. And the reason is, is because
even though they are small in number, what they have shown is,
is that they have no conscience when it comes to the destruction
of innocent civilians. And because of technology today,
if an organization like that got a weapon of mass
destruction on its hands -- a nuclear or a chemical
or a biological weapon -- and they used it in a city,
whether it's in Shanghai or New York, just a few individuals
could potentially kill tens of thousands of people, maybe
hundreds of thousands. So it really does pose
an extraordinary threat. Now, the reason we originally
went into Afghanistan was because al Qaeda
was in Afghanistan, being hosted by the Taliban. They have now moved over the
border of Afghanistan and they are in Pakistan now, but they
continue to have networks with other extremist
organizations in that region. And I do believe that it is
important for us to stabilize Afghanistan so that the people
of Afghanistan can protect themselves, but they can also be
a partner in reducing the power of these extremist networks. Now, obviously it is a
very difficult thing -- one of the hardest things about
my job is ordering young men and women into the battlefield. I often have to meet with the
mothers and fathers of the fallen, those who
do not come home. And it is a great weight on me. It gives me a heavy heart. Fortunately, our
Armed Services is -- the young men and
women who participate, they believe so strongly in
their service to their country that they are willing to go. And I think that
it is possible -- working in a broader coalition
with our allies in NATO and others that are contributing
like Australia -- to help train the Afghans so
that they have a functioning government, that they have
their own security forces, and then slowly we can begin
to pull our troops out because there's no longer that vacuum
that existed after the Taliban left. But it's a difficult task. It's not easy. And ultimately I think in
trying to defeat these terrorist extremists, it's important
to understand it's not just a military exercise. We also have to think about what
motivates young people to become terrorists, why would they
become suicide bombers. And although there are obviously
a lot of different reasons, including I think the
perversion of religion, in thinking that somehow these
kinds of violence acts are appropriate, part of what's
happened in places like Pakistan and Afghanistan is these young
people have no education, they have no opportunities, and
so they see no way for them to move forward in life, and that
leads them into thinking that this is their only option. And so part of what we want to
do in Afghanistan is to find ways that we can train teachers
and create schools and improve agriculture so that people
have a greater sense of hope. That won't change the ideas of
a Osama bin Laden who are very ideologically fixed on
trying to strike at the West, but it will change the pool
of young people who they can recruit from. And that is at
least as important, if not more important over time,
as whatever military actions that we can take. Okay? All right, I have
had a wonderful time. I am so grateful to all of you. First of all, let me say I'm
very impressed with all of your English. Clearly you've been
studying very hard. And having a chance to meet with
all of you I think has given me great hope for the future
of U.S.-China relations. I hope that many of you have the
opportunity to come and travel and visit the United States. You will be welcome. I think you will find that the
American people feel very warmly towards the people of China. And I am very confident
that, with young people like yourselves and the young people
that I know in the United States, that our two great
countries will continue to prosper and help to bring about
a more peaceful and secure world. So thank you very
much everybody. Thank you. (applause)
