    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
    [October 29, 1997]
    [Pages 1444-1445]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Welcoming Ceremony for President Jiang Zemin of China
    October 29, 1997

        President Jiang, Mrs. Wang, members of the Chinese delegation,
    welcome to the White House, and welcome to America. Mr. President, your
    visit gives us both an opportunity and a responsibility. At the dawn of
    a new century and a new millennium, let us strengthen the bonds between
    us; let us pursue common causes; let us address our differences openly
    and with respect; let us build a better world for our children.
        We admire the progress China has made in such a short time. Your
    reforms have lifted millions from poverty, offering better housing and
    better schools. The Chinese people enjoy today a better standard of
    living than at any time in China's history. China is playing a stronger
    role in the community of nations, from promoting peace in Korea and
    Cambodia to fighting international crime and drug trafficking. Hundreds
    of international organizations now benefit from Chinese participation,
    and we welcome tens of thousands of Chinese students to the United
    States every year. They come to learn, but they also teach us a lot and
    they teach a lot, especially, to our young people with whom they will
    shape the future.
        Mr. President, our challenge is to build on this progress for the
    benefit of China, the United States, and the world. For even as we
    admire the Great Wall of China, we must work to ensure that fewer and
    fewer barriers separate us.
        Both our countries can best advance our interests and our values by
    working together rather than standing apart. For together we can lay the
    groundwork for a safer, better world, where peace prevails and
    prosperity grows; where we join to fight the threats that none of us can
    conquer alone; where all our children enjoy clean air, clean water, and
    a healthy future; and where people are treated with dignity, free to
    express their beliefs and observe their faiths.
        Mr. President, Chinese immigrants who came here in the 19th century
    called America the ``Golden Mountain.'' They made their dream a reality
    when they helped to build San Francisco into a thriving cosmopolitan
    city on a hill. Since then our people have climbed many mountains
    together. When you laid a wreath at Pearl Harbor, you paid tribute to
    the alliance between our people that brought victory in World War II.
    Now, on the verge of a new century, our two great nations must join our
    strength again.
        As we cast our eyes over the horizon and toward the future, one
    thing is absolutely clear: China, with its ancient civilization and
    renewed economic and political vigor, will have a profound influence on
    the new world of the 21st century. How China defines its greatness will
    shape the future for all the world's children.
        Mr. President, together, we can make this new era the brightest
    chapter in China's long and rich history, the best days America has ever
    known, and a new age of unprecedented peace and prosperity for all the
    world. That, Mr. President, is the future we hope for as we welcome you
    to the United States.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:18 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House, where President Jiang was accorded a formal welcome with full

    [[Page 1445]]

    military honors. In his remarks, he referred to President Jiang's wife,
    Madame Wang Yeping. The transcript made available by the Office of the
    Press Secretary also included the remarks of President Jiang.