Well, ni-hao.

(laughter) It is such a pleasure and an honor to

be here with all of you at this great university, so

thank you so much for having me.

Now, before I get started today, on behalf of myself

and my husband, I just want to say a few very

brief words about Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

As my husband has said, the United States

is offering as many resources as possible

to assist in the search.

And please know that we are keeping all of the

families and loved ones of those on this flight

in our thoughts and prayers at this

very difficult time.

Now with that, I want to start by recognizing our

new Ambassador to China, Ambassador Baucus;

President Wang; Chairman Zhu; Vice President Li;

Director Cueller; Professor Oi, and the

Stanford Center; President Sexton from New York

University, which is an excellent study abroad

program in Shanghai; and John Thornton,

Director of the Global Leadership Program

at Tsinghua University.

Thank you all for joining us.

But most of all, I want to thank all of the students

who are here today.

And I particularly want to thank Eric Schaefer

and Zhu Xuanhao for that extraordinary English

and Chinese introduction.

That was a powerful symbol of everything that

I want to talk with you about today.

See, by learning each other's languages,

and by showing such curiosity and respect for each other's

cultures, Mr. Schafer and Ms. Zhu

and all of you are building bridges of understanding that

will lead to so much more.

And I'm here today because I know that our future

depends on connections like these among

young people like you across the globe.

That's why when my husband and I travel abroad,

we don't just visit palaces and parliaments

and meet with heads of state.

We also come to schools like this one to meet

with students like you, because we believe that

relationships between nations aren't just about

relationships between governments or leaders --

they're about relationships between

people, particularly young people.

So we view study abroad programs not just

as an educational opportunity for students,

but also as a vital part of America's foreign policy.

Through the wonders of modern technology,

our world is more connected than ever before.

Ideas can cross oceans with the click

of a button.

Companies can do business and compete with companies

across the globe.

And we can text, email, Skype with people

on every continent.

So studying abroad isn't just a fun way to spend a

semester; it is quickly becoming the key to

success in our global economy.

Because getting ahead in today's workplaces isn't

just about getting good grades or test scores

in school, which are important.

It's also about having real experience with the

world beyond your borders -- experience with

languages, cultures and societies very different

from your own.

Or, as the Chinese saying goes: "It is better

to travel ten thousand miles than to read

ten thousand books."

But let's be clear, studying abroad is about

so much more than improving your own future.

It's also about shaping the future of your

countries and of the world we all share.

Because when it comes to the defining challenges

of our time -- whether it's climate change

or economic opportunity or the spread of nuclear weapons --

these are shared challenges.

And no one country can confront them alone.

The only way forward is together.

That's why it is so important for young people

like you to live and study in each other's countries,

because that's how you develop

that habit of cooperation.

You do it by immersing yourself in one another's

culture, by learning each other's stories,

by getting past the stereotypes

and misconceptions that too often divide us.

That's how you come to understand

how much we all share.

That's how you realize that we all have

a stake in each other's success -- that cures discovered here

in Beijing could save lives in America,

that clean energy technologies from Silicon Valley

in California could improve the environment here

in China, that the architecture

of an ancient temple in Xi'an could inspire the design

of new buildings in Dallas or Detroit.

And that's when the connections you make

as classmates or labmates can blossom

into something more.

That's what happened when Abigail Coplin became

an American Fulbright Scholar here at Peking University.

She and her colleagues published papers together

in top science journals, and they built research

partnerships that lasted long after they returned

to their home countries.

And Professor Niu Ke from Peking University

was a Fulbright Scholarship --

Scholar in the U.S. last year, and he reported -- and

this is a quote from him -- he said,

"The most memorable experiences were

with my American friends."

These lasting bonds represent the true value

of studying abroad.

And I am thrilled that more and more students

are getting this opportunity.

As you've heard, China is currently the fifth most

popular destination for Americans studying abroad,

and today, the highest number of exchange

students in the U.S.

are from China.

But still, too many students never have this

chance, and some that do are hesitant to take it.

They may feel like studying abroad is only

for wealthy students or students from certain

kinds of universities.

Or they may think to themselves, well,

that sounds fun but how will it be useful in my life?

And believe me, I understand where these

young people are coming from because

I felt the same way back when I was in college.

See, I came from a working-class family,

and it never occurred to me to study abroad -- never.

My parents didn't get a chance to attend college,

so I was focused on getting into a university,

earning my degree so that I could get a good job

to support myself and help my family.

And I know for a lot of young people like me who

are struggling to afford a regular semester

of school, paying for plane tickets or living expenses

halfway around the world just isn't possible.

And that's not acceptable, because study abroad

shouldn't just be for students

from certain backgrounds.

Our hope is to build connections between people

of all races and socioeconomic backgrounds,

because it is that diversity that truly will

change the face of our relationships.

So we believe that diversity makes our

country vibrant and strong.

And our study abroad programs should reflect

the true spirit of America to the world.

And that's why when my husband visited China

back in 2009, he announced the 100,000 Strong initiative

to increase the number and diversity

of American students studying in China.

And this year, as we mark the 35th anniversary

of the normalization of relationships between

our two countries,

the U.S. government actually supports more American

students in China than in any other country

in the world.

We are sending high school, college and

graduate students here to study Chinese.

We're inviting teachers from China

to teach Mandarin in American schools.

We're providing free online advising

for students in China who want to study

in the U.S. And the U.S.-China Fulbright program

is still going strong with more than 3,000 alumni.

And the private sector is stepping up as well.

For example, Steve Schwarzman, who is the

head of an American company called Blackstone,

is funding a new program at Tsinghua University

modeled on the Rhodes Scholarship.

And today, students from all kinds

of backgrounds are studying here in China.

Take the example of Royale Nicholson,

who's from Cleveland, Ohio.

She attends New York University's

program in Shanghai.

Now, like me, Royale is a first-generation

college student.

And her mother worked two full-time jobs while

her father worked nights to support their family.

And of her experience in Shanghai, Royale said --

and this is her quote -- she said,

"This city oozes persistence and inspires me to accomplish

all that I can."

And happy birthday, Royale.

It was her birthday yesterday.

(Laughter.)

And then there's Philmon Haile from

the University of Washington, whose family came

to the U.S. as refugees from Eritrea when he was a child.

And of his experience studying in China,

he said, "Study abroad is a powerful vehicle

for people-to-people exchange as we move into

a new era of citizen diplomacy."

"A new era of citizen diplomacy."

I could not have said it better myself, because

that's really what I'm talking about.

I am talking about ordinary citizens reaching

out to the world.

And as I always tell young people back in America,

you don't need to get on a plane

to be a citizen diplomat.

I tell them that if you have an Internet

connection in your home, school, or library, within

seconds you can be transported anywhere

in the world and meet people on every continent.

And that's why I'm posting a daily travel blog

with videos and photos of my experiences here in China,

because I want young people in America

to be part of this visit.

And that's really the power of technology --

how it can open up the entire world and expose

us to ideas and innovations we never could have imagined.

And that's why it's so important for information

and ideas to flow freely over the Internet

and through the media, because that's

how we discover the truth.

That's how we learn what's really happening

in our communities and our country and our world.

And that's how we decide which values and ideas

we think are best -- by questioning and debating

them vigorously, by listening to all sides

of an argument, and by judging for ourselves.

And believe me, I know how this can be a messy

and frustrating process.

My husband and I are on the receiving

end of plenty of questioning and criticism from our media

and our fellow citizens.

And it's not always easy, but we wouldn't trade

it for anything in the world.

Because time and again, we have seen that

countries are stronger and more prosperous when

the voices of and opinions of all their citizens

can be heard.

And as my husband has said, we respect

the uniqueness of other cultures and societies,

but when it comes to expressing yourself freely

and worshipping as you choose and having open

access to information, we believe those universal

rights -- they are universal rights

that are the birthright of every person on this planet.

We believe that all people deserve the opportunity

to fulfill their highest potential as I was able

to do in the United States.

And as you learn about new cultures and form new

friendships during your time here in China

and in the United States, all of you are the living,