奥巴马总统在美中战略与经济对话上的致辞

奥巴马总统在美中战略与经济对话上的致辞RemarksbythePresidentattheUS/CHINAStrategicandEconomicDialogueRonaldReaganBuildingandInternationalTradeCenterJuly27,2009Goodmorning.ItisagreathonortowelcomeyoutothefirstmeetingoftheStrategicEconomicDialoguebetweentheUnitedStatesandChina.Thisisanessentialstepinadvancingapositive,constructive,andcomprehensiverelationshipbetweenourcountries.I'mpleasedthatPresidentHusharesmycommitmenttoasustaineddialoguetoenhanceoursharedinterests.PresidentHuandIbothfeltthatitwasimportanttogetourrelationshipofftoagoodstart.Ofcourse,asanewPresidentandalsoasabasketballfan,IhavelearnedfromthewordsofYaoMing,whosaid,Nomatterwhetheryouareneworanoldteammember,youneedtimetoadjusttooneanother.Well,throughtheconstructivemeetingsthatwe'vealreadyhad,andthroughthisdialogue,I'mconfidentthatwewillmeetYao'sstandard.IwanttoacknowledgetheremarkableAmericanandChineseleaderswhowillco-chairthiseffort.HillaryClintonandTimGeithneraretwoofmyclosestadvisors,andtheyhavebothobtainedextraordinaryexperienceworkingwithChina.AndIknowthattheywillhaveextremelycapableandcommittedChinesecounterpartsinStateCouncilorDaiandVicePremierWang.Thankyouverymuchforbeinghere.I'malsolookingforwardtotheconfirmationofanoutstandingUSAmbassadortoChina,GovernorJonHuntsman,whoisheretoday.(Applause)JonhasdeepexperiencelivingandworkinginAsia,and——unlikeme——hespeaksfluentMandarinChinese.HealsohappenstobeaRepublicanwhoco-chairedSenatorMcCain'scampaign.AndIthinkthatdemonstratesJon'scommitmenttoservinghiscountry,andthebroad,bipartisansupportforpositiveandproductiverelationsbetweentheUnitedStatesandChina.Sothankyou,Jon,foryourwillingnesstoserve.Today,wemeetinabuildingthatspeakstothehistoryofthelastcentury.IthousesanationalmemorialtoPresidentWoodrowWilson,amanwhoheldofficewhenthe20thcenturywasstillyoung,andAmerica'sleadershipintheworldwasemerging.ItisnamedforRonaldReagan,amanwhocameofageduringtwoWorldWars,andwhosepresidencyhelpedusherinaneweraofhistory.AnditholdsapieceoftheBerlinWall,adecades-longsymbolofdivisionthatwasfinallytorndown,unleashingarisingtideofglobalizationthatcontinuestoshapeourworld.Onehundredyearsago——intheearlydaysofthe20thcentury——itwasclearthatthereweremomentouschoicestobemade——choicesaboutthebordersofnationsandtherightsofhumanbeings.ButinWoodrowWilson'sday,noonecouldhaveforeseenthearcofhistorythatledtoawallcomingdowninBerlin,norcouldtheyhaveimaginedtheconflictandupheavalthatcharacterizedtheyearsinbetween.Forpeopleeverywhere--fromBostontoBeijing--the20thcenturywasatimeofgreatprogress,butthatprogressalsocamewithagreatprice.Today,welookoutonthehorizonofanewcentury.Andaswelaunchthisdialogue,it'simportantforustoreflectuponthequestionsthatwillshapethe21stcentury.Willgrowthbestalledbyeventslikeourcurrentfinancialcrisis,orwillwecooperatetocreatebalancedandsustainablegrowth,liftingmorepeopleoutofpovertyandcreatingabroaderprosperityaroundtheworld?Willtheneedforenergybreedcompetitionandclimatechange,orwillwebuildpartnershipstoproducecleanpowerandtoprotectourplanet?Willnuclearweaponsspreadunchecked,orwillweforgeanewconsensustousethispowerforonlypeacefulpurposes?Willextremistsbeabletostirconflictanddivision,orwillweuniteonbehalfofoursharedsecurity?Willnationsandpeoplesdefinethemselvessolelybytheirdifferences,orcanwefindcommongroundnecessarytomeetourcommonchallenges,andtorespectthedignityofeveryhumanbeing?Wecan'tpredictwithcertaintywhatthefuturewillbring,butwecanbecertainabouttheissuesthatwilldefineourtimes.Andwealsoknowthis:TherelationshipbetweentheUnitedStatesandChinawillshapethe21stcentury,whichmakesitasimportantasanybilateralrelationshipintheworld.Thatreallymustunderpinourpartnership.Thatistheresponsibilitythattogetherwebear.Aswelooktothefuture,wecanlearnfromourpast——forhistoryshowsusthatbothournationsbenefitfromengagementthatisgroundedinmutualinterestandmutualrespect.Duringmytimeinoffice,wewillmarkthe40thanniversaryofPresidentNixon'striptoChina.Atthattime,theworldwasmuchdifferentthanitistoday.AmericahadfoughtthreewarsinEastAsiainjust30years,andtheColdWarwasinastalemate.China'seconomywascutofffromtheworld,andahugepercentageoftheChinesepeoplelivedinextremepoverty.Backthen,ourdialoguewasguidedbyanarrowfocusonoursharedrivalrywiththeSovietUnion.Today,wehaveacomprehensiverelationshipthatreflectsthedeepeningtiesamongourpeople.Ourcountrieshavenowsharedrelationsforlongerthanwewereestranged.Ourpeopleinteractinsomanyways.AndIbelievethatwearepoisedtomakesteadyprogressonsomeofthemostimportantissuesofourtimes.MyconfidenceisrootedinthefactthattheUnitedStatesandChinasharemutualinterests.Ifweadvancethoseintereststhroughcooperation,ourpeoplewillbenefitandtheworldwillbebetteroff——becauseourabilitytopartnerwitheachotherisaprerequisiteforprogressonmanyofthemostpressingglobalchallenges.Letmenamesomeofthosechallenges.First,wecancooperatetoadvanceourmutualinterestsinalastingeconomicrecovery.Thecurrentcrisishasmadeitclearthatthechoicesmadewithinourbordersreverberateacrosstheglobaleconomy——andthisistruenotjustinNewYorkandSeattle,butinShanghaiandShenzhen,aswell.Thatiswhywemustremainc