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Meet and Greet with USA Pavilion Student Ambassadors and Employees

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

USA Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo

Shanghai, China

May 22, 2010

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SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, all of your ears should be burning, because you have made such a positive impression. And I hear it everywhere, not just from Jose. I hear it from other people, as well. And I think you have really made our people-to-people connections very much a part of what our experience is trying to be, because that’s our whole goal, you know. It is to create lasting connections and understanding between American and Chinese people. And you all represent that.

So, I want you, very quickly, starting right there, to introduce yourself and tell me where you’re from.

PARTICIPANT: I am Deenie, I am from New York.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Yay!

(Laughter.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Little editorial comment.

(Laughter.)

PARTICIPANT: Imena, from South Carolina.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Great.

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible.)

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible.)

PARTICIPANT: Lydia, from Colorado.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Jacqueline, from Massachusetts.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Amy, from California.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Vri, from Buffalo, New York.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Buffalo, New York.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Nina.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Zhing, from California.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Allison, from Pennsylvania.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Ashley, from Long Island, New York.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Bethany, born in Shanghai, now in California.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Ally, I’m from Connecticut.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Lindley, I’m in California.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Caleb, I’m from Detroit, Michigan.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Cathy, I’m from Houston, Texas.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Hannah, I’m from Chicago.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Joy, I’m from Houston, Texas.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Rebecca. I’m from D.C.

PARTICIPANT: And my name is Evan, and I’m from Falls Church, Virginia.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Terrific.

PARTICIPANT: Mark, from Memphis, Tennessee.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Okay.

PARTICIPANT: Sonia, from Hawaii.

PARTICIPANT: Sebastian LaBar, Dallas, Texas.

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible) Pennsylvania.

PARTICIPANT: Trenton Gabe, from California.

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible) from Dallas, Texas.

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible.)

(Laughter.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: A chorus.

PARTICIPANT: David Wong, from Idaho.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Benjamin, Washington State.

PARTICIPANT: Tyler, from Park City, Utah.

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible), Los Angeles, California.

PARTICIPANT: Ryan, from New York.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Great.

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible.)

PARTICIPANT: Charles (inaudible).

PARTICIPANT: Taylor, from Salt Lake City.

PARTICIPANT: I’m Janson, from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

PARTICIPANT: Jessica, from Los Angeles, California.

PARTICIPANT: Emily, from Los Angeles, California.

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible) from Los Angeles.

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible) from Austin, Texas.

PARTICIPANT: Christina from (inaudible).

PARTICIPANT: Katie, from the Scranton area, and (inaudible).

SECRETARY CLINTON: I heard you say that before —

(Laughter.)

PARTICIPANT: Fisher, from (inaudible).

SECRETARY CLINTON: Okay.

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible) from Pennsylvania, and now New Haven.

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible.)

PARTICIPANT: Liberty, from Florida.

PARTICIPANT: Quincy, from Connecticut.

PARTICIPANT: Christina, from San Francisco.

PARTICIPANT: Patricia, from San Francisco.

PARTICIPANT: Sofie, from Minnesota.

PARTICIPANT: Donna, from Boston.

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible) from Utah.

PARTICIPANT: Katie, from Alabama.

PARTICIPANT: Mica from Utah.

PARTICIPANT: Edward, born and raised in Kansas.

(Laughter.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: I heard that this morning, too.

(Laughter.)

PARTICIPANT: Pam, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

PARTICIPANT: Lavinia, from Chicago.

PARTICIPANT: Heather, from South Carolina.

PARTICIPANT: Sarah Kate, from Wellesley, Massachusetts.

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Great. What a great cross-section.

Now, let me ask you this. How many of you come from families where Mandarin or another Chinese dialect was spoken? So that’s a pretty good number.

And how many of you just started from scratch, because you were interested in learning the language? Oh, that’s very impressive. Lots of challenging days and nights, I think.

(Laughter.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: And now, how many of you are finished with college? You’re done? You’re done? Okay. And then how many of you are still in college, waiting?

I just can’t thank you enough for your willingness to do this, because it’s been just an incredible addition to our pavilion and our presence here at the Expo.

How did you decide to do this? Anybody?

PARTICIPANT: My grandmother.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Your grandmother?

(Laughter.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Did your grandmother hear about it? Good.

PARTICIPANT: I’ve been in China — this is my third time here. And I lived in Shanghai last summer (inaudible) that the U.S. and China (inaudible) —

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, you are exactly on the right note on that. What about other people?

PARTICIPANT: After Olympics — I volunteered for Olympics.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Did you?

PARTICIPANT: For the 2008 ones. I had such a good time, I knew I had to come here.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Good. Now, you’re all living in a kind of Expo village, right?

PARTICIPANTS: Right.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Is that working out?

PARTICIPANTS: Oh, yes. Very nice.

MR. VILLARREAL: That’s not what you told me.

(Laughter.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, yes, that’s all right. All complaints go to him. Only positive reinforcement comes to me.

Well, do you have any questions? Do you have anything you want to ask me about?

PARTICIPANT: I really appreciate —

PARTICIPANT: How did you find the pavilion today?

SECRETARY CLINTON: You know what? I liked it. I liked it. And, believe me, I was so relieved, because it was not clear at all, when I became Secretary, that we would have a pavilion. And I thought that would not be a good representation of our country at this important time in history at this event.

You know, expositions are historical markers. I mean, we had expositions in St. Louis — you know that old song, which I’m sure some of you sing, “Meet Me in St. Louis?” Then Chicago had a great exposition. New York had a world’s fair. And it — you know, there are too many of them around the world to be present in all of them. But there are important ones, historically. And this is an important one. And I wanted the United States to be here.

So, when I was here in November, it was really a touch-and-go situation. They had — I guess they had some of the outer steel up, right, Jose? And so that was mid to late November. And we were wondering whether we were going to make it. And I kept telling people, “I will have to put it up myself, if you don’t get it up.”

(Laughter.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: So I was very pleased. I was excited. And when I went to the Chinese pavilion, many, many compliments about our pavilion, about how popular it is. I think Jose and the team told me that there were 40,000 people here yesterday. That’s exhausting.

(Laughter.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: And you have to be smiling and nice and bilingual the whole time. That’s very — a very great accomplishment on your part. But people — you know, people seem to be responding. And that makes me happy, because we want as many people to come as possible, and we want them to get, you know, some feel of who we are, as a people, for the future, for that relationship that, you know, you were talking about.

Well, enjoy the rest of your time here.

PARTICIPANTS: Thank you.

(Applause.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Wow, you are truly a sight for sore eyes. I can’t thank you enough. I mean, things are really off to a good start, and would not be possible without all of your extraordinary dedication to making things happen.

We had a few death-defying moments, in terms of whether we would get the pavilion built, and get it ready. But all finally worked out. And I am so grateful. So let me thank you, thank you for making this a priority, and understanding the importance of the China-U.S. relationship, and how we are trying to build connections between the American and Chinese people. And I think — have we hit 700,000? Did we hit 700,000?

MR. VILLARREAL: Mark?

PARTICIPANT: Last night.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Last night we hit 700,000. So, you know, that is about as good a beginning as one can imagine. And it’s part of what we call public diplomacy. And every one of you is a public diplomat. So I thank you so much.

PARTICIPANTS: Thank you.

(Applause.)

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