Consul General’s Independence Day Message
Vice Mayor Jiang Ping, Standing Committee Member Dong Bo, Director Sun Zhengxin, Deputy Director Fan Yufei, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests. Thank you for joining us to commemorate the 235th anniversary of the independence of the United States of America.
This is my third Independence Day celebration in Shanghai and I'm sorry to say my last. Since arriving here nearly three years ago, I have had the privilege of getting to know this incredible city and the dynamic Yangtze River region. It is a tremendous honor to represent the United States as head of the U.S. Consulate General Shanghai; I very much appreciate the support and cooperation I have received here.
Last year we celebrated our National Day at the USA pavilion at the Expo. I was delighted that we had the chance to be part of the largest world's fair in history and proud that our pavilion welcomed more than 7 million visitors during the six-month course of the Expo.
These past three years have been memorable ones. During this time we welcomed President Obama, two visits by Secretary Clinton and three by our future ambassador, Commerce Secretary Locke. We marked the 30th anniversary of the reopening of the consulate, opened an office of the US Food and Drug Administration, and helped US companies and universities strengthen their presence here. All of these events testify to the importance of the US -China relationship and the continued growth in every possible area, from education to environment to food safety to financial services.
But perhaps the best proof of our relationship comes from our consular section, which during my time here issued well over half a million visas. Business, tourism, and education are all driving a huge surge in visa applications, keeping our consular team extremely busy as more and more Chinese choose to travel to the United States.
I'm also pleased that growing numbers of American students are coming to study in China, including my own son. Ever since that famous ping pong diplomacy forty years ago, people-to-people exchanges have laid the groundwork for building our official relationship. Three months later Secretary Henry Kissinger made his secret visit to Beijing, which led to President Nixon's historic visit to China in 1972. I am confident that the next forty years will foster greater mutual understanding as we continue to work with you to shape a peaceful and prosperous future.
And now to go back even further in history, I'd like to note that this year marks the 235th anniversary of America's Declaration of Independence. With this document's bold statement that all people are endowed with certain unalienable rights, the American colonies began a journey that brought the United States into existence. That journey and the founding principle on which it is based continue today.
Thank you for being here to commemorate our national day and the anniversary of our Declaration of Independence as we celebrate the rights of all people to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.