Obama welcomes China's rise
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Visiting US President Barack Obama said in Shanghai on Monday the United States does not seek to contain China's rise and he welcomes China as a "strong, prosperous and successful member of the community of nations."
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US President Barack Obama delivers a speech at a dialogue with Chinese youth at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum during his four-day state visit to China, Nov. 16, 2009.[Pei Xin/Xinhua] |
![U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a speech at a dialogue with Chinese youth at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum during his four-day state visit to China, Nov. 16, 2009.[Pei Xin/Xinhua]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20091116/000cf1bdd03f0c6b3d2032.jpg "U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a speech at a dialogue with Chinese youth at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum during his four-day state visit to China, Nov. 16, 2009.[Pei Xin/Xinhua]")
Obama made the remarks during a dialogue with Chinese youth at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum in China's economic hub Shanghai.
In the event aired live on xinhuanet.com and Chinese and foreign television channels, Obama said the world is fundamentally interconnected and power in the 21st century is no longer a zero-sum game.
The dialogue, chaired by Fudan University President Yang Yuliang, attracted about 600 students from several universities in Shanghai.
"The jobs we do, the prosperity we build, the environment we protect and the security we seek are all shared," he told the audience. "One country's success does not come at the expense of another."
Calling the US-China relations "positive, constructive and comprehensive", Obama said the US-China relationship opens the door to partnership on key global issues such as economic recovery, development of clean energy, stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and the surge of climate change, and the promotion of peace and security in Asia and around the globe.
Obama reiterated in his speech that the United States would continue to fully support the one-China policy, and would be very pleased to see the improving cross-strait relationship.
He said the United States and China are not "predestined adversaries", as the two countries "share much in common" while "are different in certain ways."
"I have been clear in the past the United States supports a one-China policy. We do not want to change that policy or approach," he said, adding that he was "very pleased" with the reduction of tensions and improvement of the cross-strait relations.
He noted it was his "deep desire and hope" to continue to see great improvement of relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
Quoting the ancient Chinese saying that "Consider the past and you shall know the future," Obama said the United States and China have known setbacks and challenges over the last 30 years, and he was looking forward to deepening the partnership between the two nations in this critical era of tomorrow. The young people with their talent, dedication and dreams will help shape the 21st century.
Obama said during the first trip to China since taking office in January that he would discuss economic recovery, climate change and stopping the spread of nuclear weapons in his talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao.
He announced the United States would expand the number of students to study in China to 100,000 to enhance ties between the two countries.
After the speech, Obama answered questions raised by the audience and Internet users, which varied from Shanghai-Chicago exchanges and his first impression about China to cultural diversity and the latest development in Afghanistan.
Obama arrived in Shanghai late on Sunday to begin his four-day state visit to China.
He met Shanghai city officials Monday morning before meeting with young Chinese and left for Beijing in the afternoon.
