As the two great powers and important nations in the world, China and the United States bear important responsibility in promoting the world’s peace and development. In 2006, President Hu Jintao and President Bush reached an important consensus on comprehensively advancing China-US constructive cooperation in the 21st century during President Hu’s visit to America, thus laying the foundation of bilateral relations in the new era.

Cultural relations are a very important aspect in China-US relations. The Chinese government attaches great importance to cultural relations between China and the United States, and encourages both sides to actively expand exchanges and cooperation in various fields and at all levels. We believe that cooperation of the two countries’ official cultural institutions is essential, it will lay the foundation and framework for the two countries’ cultural exchanges and cooperation at all levels. I would like to mention the U.S. President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities delegation led by Adair Margo which visited China in June 2007. During the visit, over the in-depth cultural exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, leaders from the United States government and the main cultural institutions, as well as figures in the cultural circles from public and private institutions and the other side, China, have reached many consensuses on a strategic height. The Chinese side highly appreciates the delegation's vision and courage; they believed that the last successful visit, as a landmark in China-US cultural exchange history, has pushed the China-US cultural relations onto a new stage.

Today, we are glad to see that the cooperation has borne fruit through our joint efforts. Earlier this year, Sun Jiazheng, the former minister, and I attended the Coming Up Taller Awards, which promotes outstanding youth programs in the Arts and Humanities, and presented the awards to the winners along with first lady Laura Bush, all of this shows again both the two countries’ support for holding cultural events.

In a few minutes, the Ministry of Culture and the National Endowment for the Humanities, museum and library, will sign the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation, meanwhile, the agreements of the National Library of China joining the World Digital Library, and the cooperation agreement of Chinese and American librarians training project will also be signed. I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations to all parties participating in the cooperation. I’m convinced that the signing of these agreements will accelerate China-US cultural cooperation and exchanges, and we will move steadily toward the future step by step.

In the age of development and progress, maintaining world peace and promoting common development and prosperity is the general and irreversible trend as well as the expectations of people. The 30th anniversary of the establishment of China-US diplomatic relations is coming; let both sides join hands to strengthen our exchanges and cooperation, enhance mutual trust, jointly promote the development of China-US cultural relations, and make efforts for the comprehensive and stable development of bilateral relations, for the well-being of both peoples, and for the peace and development of the world.

（translated by Li Jing)