U.S. Relations with the People's Republic of China (2006)

U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs

Dina Habib Powell, Assistant Secretary of State
U.S. Higher Education Delegation to Asia
Remarks at American Chamber of Commerce

Beijing, China
November 17, 2006

As prepared for delivery.

Good afternoon. I am so honored to be here today. Thank you, President Upham, for that kind introduction and thank you all for being here today. Business leaders, like you, represent

This is an historic moment – it is the first time Americans have ever organized a joint delegation of cabinet-level U.S. government officials and university and college presidents to travel overseas to promote U.S. higher education.

Our mission is two-fold: first, we want to bring the message that Chinese students are welcome in the United States; second, we want to encourage more American students to study in China.

Our international exchange relationship with China is one of our most important. It dates back nearly 60 years, when the US and China initiated the world’s first Fulbright exchange. Through the years, the numbers and kinds of educational exchanges between our two countries have flourished, as has the Fulbright program.

We planned this visit to coincide with International Education Week, celebrated in many countries around the world. It provides the perfect moment to join with our partners. Together, we reflect on the important role that international educational exchange plays in the development of the next generation of world leaders, indeed the future of the world.

A highlight of International Education Week is the publication of the annual survey of international students in the U.S., called Open Doors. The newest edition, released on Monday, demonstrates that China continues to be one of the leading countries sending students to the United States, reaching a high of more than 63,500 students last year. And all of us in America are pleased that there is a 35 percent increase in the number of U.S. students studying in China, more than 6,000 last year. We want to grow that number. And through President Bush’s new National Security Language Initiative, we are opening more opportunities for Americans to improve their knowledge of Chinese language and culture. And China is providing the teachers, who are currently in the United States through the National Security Language Initiative program, to help educate American students in the language and culture of this great nation.

To support the need for an increased flow of two-way exchange, the State Department issued a record number of student visas in our Embassies around the world this past year. The total number of student and exchange visas reached an all-time high of 591,000 during 2006. In China, we’ve recorded very substantial increases and the number of student visas increased thirty-seven percent over last year.

This is a result of our strategic plan – it is no accident. President Bush is committed to welcoming international students to the United States. He recognizes that mutual understanding between the people of the United States and people of other countries developed through international exchange programs is vital.
Under the leadership of Secretary of State Rice and Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff, we have made it a priority to streamline our visa processes to increase the number of visitors to the United States, particularly students. In fact, more than ninety-seven percent of student visas are issued to qualified applicants in a matter of days.

Balancing security and openness is critical for our two-way exchange. As Secretary Rice recently stated, our bilateral relationship with China is one of critical importance as we prepare our citizens for the global challenges and opportunities of this century.

I can think of no better spokesperson to lead our first US Higher Education Delegation than Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. She is a committed advocate for quality educational opportunities for US students and values their exploration of other societies and cultures to make them globally competitive in an ever-flattening world.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce the first-ever mother of school aged children to serve as Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings.