step to be prepared for both opportunities and challenges
coming our way. we need to respond honestly. a competition like this draws talented students from all over
the country. and of course, i learnt more things than just
about public speaking. since in th final analysis, public
speaking is all about effective communication. and this goes
true for all communications, whatever their setting.
and the following is the final version of my speech: globalization:
opportunities and challenges for chinas younger generation
thirty years ago, american president richard nixon made an
epoch-making visit to china, a country still isolated at that
time. premier zhou enlai said to him, your
handshake came
over the vastest ocean in the world—twenty-five years of no
communication. thirty years since, china and america have
exchanged many handshakes. the fundamental implication of this
example is that the need to communicate across differences in
culture and ideology is not only felt by the two countries but
many other nations as well.
as we can see today, environmentalists from different
countries are making joint efforts to address the issue of
global warming, economists are seeking solutions to financial
crises that rage in a particular region but nonetheless
cripple the world economy, and politicians and diplomats are
getting together to discuss the issue of combating terrorism.
peace and prosperity has become a common goal that we are
striving for all over the world. underlying this mighty trend
of global communication is the echo of e. m. forsters words only connect!
with the it revolution, traditional boundaries of human
society fall away. our culture, politics, society and commerce
are being sloshed into one large melting pot of humanity. in
this interlinked world, there are no outsiders, for a
disturbance in one place is likely to impact other parts of
the globe. we have begun to realize that a world divided
cannot endure.
china is now actively integrating into the world. our recent
entry to the wto is a good example. for decades, we have taken
pride in being self-reliant, but now we realize the importance
of participating in and contributing to a broader economic
order. from a precarious role in the world arena to our
present wto membership, we have come a long way. but what does the way ahead look like? in some parts of the
world people are demonstrating against
globalization. are they
justified, then, in criticizing the globalizing world? instead
of narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor, they say, globalization enables the developed nations to swallow the developing nations wealth in debts and interest. globalization, they argue, should be about a common interest in every other
nations economic health. we are reminded by karl marx that capital goes beyond national borders and eludes control from any other entity. this has become a reality. multinational corporations are seeking the lowest cost, the largest market, and the most favourable policy. they are often powerful lobbyists in government decision-making, ruthless expansionists in the global market devastating presence to local businesses.
for china, still more challenges exist. how are we going to ensure a smooth transition from the planned economy to a market-based one? how to construct a legal system that is sound enough and broad enough to respond to the needs of a dynamic society? how to
maintain
our
cultural
identity
in
an
and a
increasingly homogeneous world? and how to define greatness in our rise as a peace-loving nation? globalization entails questions that concern us all. like many young people my age in china, i want to see my country get prosperous and enjoy respect in t e international community. but it seems to me that mere patriotism is not just enough. it is