Rudd turns on the charm - and students lap it up
Updated: 2008-04-10 09:30
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd enthralled his audience at Peking University with an intimate grasp of China affairs and a thorough understanding of global politics Wednesday.
He called for a "synthesis" of Beijing's vision of a harmonious world and global expectations of China as a "responsible stakeholder".
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In a 40-minute speech delivered in fluent Putonghua, Rudd said the two concepts share the "same idea at its core" - China being a participant in the world order and, along with others, acting in accordance with that order.
"The global community looks forward to China fully participating in all the institutions of the global order," Rudd said. "And we look forward to China making active contributions to the enhancement of that order in the future."
Rudd stressed his opposition to calls for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics.
"Some have called for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics because of recent problems in Tibet ... I do not agree," Rudd said.
"I believe the Olympics are important for China's continuing engagement with the world," he said.
The speech marks the start of the prime minister's first official visit to China. He is scheduled to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao in Beijing today and President Hu Jintao in Hainan province on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia on Saturday.
About 1,000 students, some from abroad, filled up the lecture hall - a traditional Chinese building - to hear a foreign leader address them in Chinese for the first time.
Rudd's speech, with a sprinkling of Chinese jokes and mentions of historical events including the May 4th Movement, elicited great applause.
On May 4, 1919, Beijing students took to the streets protesting against the then warlord-led government, which planned to sign a humiliating international pact.
The demonstration triggered widespread protests across the country. The movement also served as a campaign to fight against feudalism and promote democracy and science.
Rudd also recalled how former Australian prime minister Gough Whitlam's 1973 visit to China inspired his interest in the "extraordinary country" and the remarkable changes that have taken place in China over the past three decades.
"The scale and pace of China's economic development and social transformation are unprecedented in human history."
Talking about his maiden visit to China as prime minister, Rudd singled out climate change as an important part of his discussions with the Chinese leadership.
Climate change is not just one big future challenge for both countries, but also one key issue of the idea of a harmonious world because it is about harmony with nature, he said.
"It is important that China play an increasingly prominent role on climate change."
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