Sunlight is composed of seven colors; so is our world full of colors and splendor. Each country and every nation has its own historical and cultural traditions, strong points and advantages. We should respect and learn from each other and draw upon others' strong points to offset one's own deficiencies for achieving common progress.

In the prolonged course of development, China has formed its fine historical and cultural traditions, which have been either developed or discarded with the changes of the times and social progress. These traditions have exerted a profound impact on the values and way of life of the Chinese people, and on China's road of development today. I would like to make the following observations, to help you understand China better.

First, the tradition of solidarity and unity. The Chinese nation is a big family composed of 56 nationalities. Since time immemorial, people of all nationalities have established closely-knitted political, economic and cultural links and joined hands in developing the vast land of our country. China became [a] vast unified country more than 2,000 years ago. The deep-rooted Chinese culture has become a strong bond for ethnic harmony and national unity. Solidarity and unity have been inscribed in the hearts of the Chinese people as part of their national identity. Despite occasional division in [...] Chinese history, ethnic harmony and national unity have remained the mainstream in the history of the Chinese nation, and an important guarantee for China's development and progress. The founding of the People's Republic marked an unprecedented great unity of the Chinese nation. A new type of relationship of equality, solidarity and mutual assistance between different nationalities has been established. People of all nationalities enjoy full rights and freedoms provided for by the law. In places where there is a high concentration of minority-nationality people, regional autonomy is in practice. All these have laid a solid political foundation for consolidated national unity.

Second, the tradition of maintaining independence. Our ancestors always regarded the spirit of maintaining independence as the foundation of a nation. China has all along maintained its cultural tradition without letup in the history of several thousand years. In modern times, the frequent bullying and humiliation by imperialist powers once weakened China. However, after 100 years of struggle, China has stood up again as a giant. This fully testifies to the indestructible strength of the spirit of the Chinese people. Today, in finding a road to development suited to us, we will proceed from our own national conditions to address the issue of how to conduct economic construction and political and cultural advancement without blindly copying other countries' models. In handling international affairs, we decide our positions and policies from an independent approach. The Chinese people cherish its friendship and cooperation with other countries, as well as their right to independence they have won through protracted struggles.

Peace and Self-Perfection

Third, the peace-loving tradition. Chinese thinkers of the pre-Qin days advanced the doctrine "loving people and treating neighbors kindly are most valuable to a country." This is a reflection of the aspiration of the Chinese people for a peaceful world where people of all countries live in harmony. Today, the Chinese people who are committed to modernization need more than ever a long-term international environment of peace. China's foreign policy is peace-oriented. We will establish and develop friendly relations and cooperation with all countries in the world on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, especially the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. We will never impose upon others the kind of sufferings we once experienced. A developing and progressing China does not pose a threat to anyone. China will never seek hegemony, even if it is developed in the future. It is always a staunch force for world peace and regional stability.

Fourth, the tradition of constantly striving for self-perfection. Ancient Chinese philosophers proposed the following doctrine, "As Heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-perfection." This idea has become an important moral strength, spurring the Chinese people to work hard for reform and renovation. The fruits of ancient Chinese civilization were brought about by the tireless efforts and hard work of the Chinese nation. In the past hundred years or so, the Chinese people have waged arduous struggles to get rid of the sufferings under semi-colonial and semi-feudal rule. Dr. Sun Yat-sen, China's forerunner of the democratic revolution, was the first to put forward the slogan of "rejuvenation of China." He led the Revolution of 1911 to remove the millennia-old autocratic monarchy in China. Under the guidance of Mao Zedong Thought, the Chinese Communist Party led the Chinese people in achieving national independence and people's liberation and in building China into a socialist country with initial prosperity. Today, guided by Deng Xiaoping theory, the Chinese people are firmly pressing ahead with reform and opening-up and have made remarkable achievements in the modernization drive. China has entered a period with the fastest and healthiest development in this century.

Modernization and Reform

The reform and opening-up endeavor is an embodiment and a creative development of the Chinese spirit of constantly striving for self-perfection and renovation in modern times. We refer to our reform and opening-up as socialist reform and opening-up, because they constitute the process of self-improvement and development of the socialist system in China. The practice in [the last] 20 years has eloquently proved rather that we are right in direction, firm in conviction, steady in our steps and gradual in our approach when carrying out the reform and opening-up, and we have achieved tremendous successes. We have successfully overcome various difficulties and risks in the course of our advance without causing great social unrest. Rather, we have succeeded in greatly releasing and developing productive forces and maintained social stability and an all-round progress.

We are conducting a comprehensive reform with full confidence. Economically, we will speed up the establishment of a socialist market economy and realize industrialization, and the socialization, marketization and modernization of the economy. Politically, we will endeavor to develop socialist democracy, govern the country according to law, build a socialist country under the rule of law, and ensure the full exercise of people's rights to govern the country and manage social affairs. Culturally, we will work hard to develop a scientific socialist culture for the people, a culture that is geared to the needs of modernization, of the nation, of the world and of the future, adopt a strategy of rejuvenating China through science and education and strive to raise the political and moral standards, as well as the scientific and cultural level, of the entire nation. In a word, it is to build China into a prosperous, strong, democratic and culturally advanced modern China.

China, a country with vast territory, a big population and a long history, should make greater contribution to humanity. The Chinese people waged a dauntless struggle for one hundred years. They have effected great reforms and changes, one after another, to build the country into a strong and prosperous country. They have worked to strengthen ethnic harmony and achieve national reunification and to promote the lofty cause of world peace and development. In the final analysis, they have done all [this] for one objective, that is, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and China's greater contribution to humanity.

'Reality and History'

In short, the choice of the social system and development path that China has made, the domestic and foreign policies that it has pursued and the goals it has identified for the next century, are all based on both [...] reality and the history. Therefore, they are not only in conformity with the trend of the historical development of [humanity] and that of the times, but also reflect the characteristics of the Chinese nation. They serve not only the fundamental interests of the Chinese people, but also world peace, stability, prosperity and progress. This is the key to an understanding of the present-day China and its future.

[Jiang begins speaking in English]

Ladies and gentlemen, the friendly exchange between the Chinese and American peoples dates back [...] more than two hundred years [...]. Back in 1784, [the] American merchant ship the "Empress of China" came a long way to China. In 1847, Chinese student Rong Hong [with others] came to the United States as the first group of Chinese students to study here. Many Chinese contributed to the nation-building of the United States, while a lot of American friends helped and supported the national liberation cause of the Chinese people. We will never forget their contribution, which has touched us deeply.