Spring Break
U.S. Ambassador to China speaks at Tate Lecture
Meredith Shamburger, News Editor, mshamburge@smu.edu
Issue date: 10/1/08 Section: News
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"China has and will continue to have a tremendous impact on our lives," he said.
Randt has been the ambassador to China since his appointment by President Bush in 2001 and has worked in the country for more than 30 years. He spoke about U.S.-China relations at the Gregg and Molly Engles Lecture as part of the Willis M. Tate Lecture Series on Tuesday night.
Randt first went to China in 1974. He recalled being awoken by loud speakers proclaiming, "reactionaries are all paper tigers." Randt said he would practice his Chinese on unsuspecting citizens who would then run away because he was a foreigner.
"We've come a long way," he said. "Things have changed."
Randt said the past 30 years have seen the emergence of China in the world, with the nation becoming the second largest energy consumer and the largest polluter in the world. 2008, in particular, has "been a year of triumph and tragedy," as Chinese citizens dealt with a major earthquake that left 5 million homeless and the hosting of the Olympic games in Beijing.
Earthquakes were once a government secret, according to Randt. Now, government response has led to increased openness with the world. In addition, "the success of the Olympic games gave the people of China a justified morale boost."
Randt acknowledged that the U.S. was disappointed China did not use the games as an opportunity for increased tolerance and openness. But, he said, the games allowed Americans to learn about the Chinese and the Chinese to learn about the world.
Randt characterized the relationship between the U.S. and China as mature and complex, saying that while we have similar interests, our differences create challenges.
"We respect China as a great nation," he said, "and we respect the Chinese as a great people." Randt said increased openness and tolerance in China would lead to an "even greater, more respected China."
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