In the interest of furthering understanding between Americans and everyone else who inhabits this planet, I’m happy to have read the transcript of Obama’s comments regarding his hope to increase exchange student opportunities between China and the U.S. He spoke this week to university students at the Museum of Science and Technology in Shanghai, China.

Any effort made to help Americans see that we’re only one of the many cultures/countries/peoples in this world is forward movement. There’s probably some big bad political money machine behind the plan that no one’s talking about, but some of those exchange students are bound to have their eyes and minds opened a crack or two.

From Obama’s remarks:

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.

…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.

Posted by Alexa Harrington