原文：etQ文惺网
That’s why it’s so important for young people like you to live and study in each other’s countries.etQ文惺网
Because that’s how you develop that habit of cooperation - you do it by improving yourself in someone’s culture…by learning each other’s stories…and by getting past the stereotypes and misconceptions that too often divide us.etQ文惺网
That’s how you come to understand how much we all share.etQ文惺网
And that’s how you realize that we all have a stake in each other’s success - that cures discovered here in Beijing could save lives in America…the clean energy technologies from Silicon Valley in California could improve the environment here in China…that the architecture of an ancient temple in Xi’an could inspire the design of new buildings in Dallas or Detroit.etQ文惺网
And that’s when the connections you make as classmates or labmates can blossom into something more.etQ文惺网
That’s what happened when Abigail Coplin became an American Fulbright Scholar here at Peking University.etQ文惺网
She and her colleagues published papers together in top science journals…and they both research partnerships that lasted long after they returned to their home countries.etQ文惺网
Professor Niu Ke fromPekingUniversitywas Fulbright Scholar in theU. S.last year…and he reported, and I quote, “the most memorable experience were with my American friends. ”etQ文惺网
These lasting bonds represent the true value of studying abroad…and I am thrilled that more and more students are getting this opportunity.etQ文惺网
Chinais currently the fifth most popular destination for Americans studying abroad.etQ文惺网
And today, the highest number of exchange students in theU.S.are fromChina.etQ文惺网
But still, too many students never have this chance…and some that do are hesitant to take it.etQ文惺网
They may feel like study abroad is only for wealthy students, or students from certain kinds of universities.etQ文惺网
Or they may think to themselves: “Well, that sounds fun, but how will it really be useful in my life?”etQ文惺网
I understand where these young people are coming from, because I felt the same way when I was in college.etQ文惺网
You see, I came from a working class family… and it never even occurred to me to study abroad.etQ文惺网
My parent didn’t get to attend college, and I was focused on getting into a university and earning my degree so I could get a job and support myself.etQ文惺网
And for a lot of young people like me who are struggling to afford a regular semester of school paying for plane tickets or living expense halfway around the world just isn’t possible.etQ文惺网
And that’s not acceptable, because study abroad shouldn’t just for student from certain backgrounds.etQ文惺网
Our hope is to build connections between people of all races and socioeconomic backgrounds because it is that diversity that makes our country so vibrant and strong…and our study abroad programs should reflect the true spirit of America to the world.etQ文惺网
That’s why, when my husband visitedChinaback in 2009, he announced our 100,000 Strong initiative to increase the number and diversity of American students studying inChina.etQ文惺网
And this year, as we mark the thirty-fifth anniversary of the normaliztaion of relations between our countries…the U.S. Government actually supports more American students in China than in any other country in the world.etQ文惺网
We’re sending high school, colleges and graduate students here to study Chinese…we’re inviting teachers from China to teach Mandarin in American schools...we’re providing free online advising fro students in China who want to study in the U.S…and the U.S.-China Fulbright program is still going strong with more than 3,000 alumni.etQ文惺网
The private sector is stepping up as well.etQ文惺网
For example, Steve Schwarzman, the head of an American company called Blackstone, is funding a new program at Tsinghua University modeled on the Rhodes Scholarship.etQ文惺网
And today, students from all kinds of backgrounds are studying here in China.etQ文惺网
Take the example of Royale Nicholson from Cleveland,Ohiowho attends New York University’s program inShanghai.etQ文惺网
Like me, Royale is a first generation college student…and her mother worked two fulltime jobs while her father worked nights to support their family.etQ文惺网
Of her experience inShanghai, she said, “This city oozes persistence and inspires me to accomplish all that I can.”etQ文惺网
And then there’s Philmon Haile from the University of Washington whose family came to theU.S. as refugee from Eritrea when he was a child.etQ文惺网
Of his experience studying inChina, he said, “study abroad is a powerful vehicle for people-to-people exchange as we move into a new era of citizen diplomacy.”etQ文惺网
“a new era of citizen diplomacy ”- I couldn’t have said it better myself, because that’s really what I’m talking about...I’m talking about ordinary citizen reaching out to the world.etQ文惺网
And as I always tell young people back in America, you don’t need to get on a plane to by a citizen diplomacy.etQ文惺网
I tell them that if you have an internet in your home, school, or library, within seconds, you can be transported anywhere in the world and meet people on every continent.etQ文惺网
That’s why I’m posting a daily travel blog with videos and photos of my experiences in china - because I want young people in America to be part of this visit.etQ文惺网
That’s really the power of technology - how it can open up the entire world and expose us to ideas and innovations we never could have imagined.etQ文惺网
And that’s why it is so important for information and ideas to flow freely over the internet and through the media.etQ文惺网
Because that’s how we discover the truth...that’s how we learn what’s really happening in our communities, our country and our world.etQ文惺网
And that’s how we decide which values and ideas we think are best - by questioning and debating them vigorously…by listening to all sides of every argument...and by judging for ourselves.etQ文惺网
And believe me, I know this can be a messy and frustrating process.etQ文惺网
My husband and I are on the receiving and of plenty of questioning and criticizing from our media and our fellow citizens...and it’s not always easy...but we wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.etQ文惺网
Because time and again, we have seen that countries are stronger and more prosperous when the voices and opinions of all their citizens can be heard.etQ文惺网
And as my husband said, we respect the uniqueness of other cultures and societies.etQ文惺网
But when it comes to expressing yourself freely, and worshipping as your choose, and having open access to information – we believe those are universal rights that are the birthright of every person on this planet.etQ文惺网
We believe that all people deserve the opportunity to fulfill their highest potential as I was able to do in the United States.etQ文惺网
And as you learn about new cultures and form new friendships during your time here in China and in the United States, all of you are the living, breathing embodiment of those values.etQ文惺网
So I guarantee you that in studying abroad, you’re not just changing your own life…you’re changing the lives of everyone you meet.etQ文惺网
As the great American President John F. Kennedy once said about foreign students studying in theU.S., “I think they teach more than they learn.”etQ文惺网
And that is just as true of young Americans who study abroad.etQ文惺网
All of you are America’s best face, and China’s best face, to the world.etQ文惺网
Every day, you show the world your countries’ energy, creativity, optimism and unwavering belief in the future.
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