RemarksatLaunchofthe100,000StrongFoundationbyHillaryRodhamClinton,SecretaryofStateBenFranklinRoomWashington,DCJanuary24,2013Thankyou.Well,we’reallgettingalittleemotionalandsentimentalaroundhere—withaboutalittleoveraweektogoinmytenure.AndIamsopleasedtowelcomeallofyouhere.Iseemany,manyfamiliarfacesandsomegoodfriendsinthisaudience.AndIparticularlywanttothankAssistantSecretaryKurtCampbellfordrivingnotonlythisprogram,butsomuchthatwehaveaccomplishedinthelastfouryearstodeepenandstrengthenourrelationshipwithChinaandothersintheregion,butparticularlywithChina,asitissuchaconsequentialrelationship,onethatwebelievesostronglyin.AmbassadorZhang,onceagain,welcometotheStateDepartment.Becauseitis,forus,awayofmakingclearthatourrelations,government-to-government,areobviouslyessential.Butitisthosepeople-to-peopletiesthataregoingtodeterminethequalityoftherelationshipforthefuture.OurengagementwithChinatodaydealswithawiderangeofthemostpressingchallengesandthemostexcitingopportunities.AndwhenwebeganlookingatwaystomakeourexchangeswithChinamoreproductive,weofcourserampedupourdiplomaticengagement.WetookdelegationsofinvestorsandentrepreneurstoChina.WeinstitutionalizedtheStrategicandEconomicDialogue.Weareveryclearthatwhatwe’vetriedtobuild,anarchitecturethatwillstandthetestoftimeregardlessofwhatisgoingonineitherofourcountries,hasbeenanessentialeffort.Andin2010,welaunchedthe100,000StrongInitiative.AndasKurtsaid,thisisaimedatincreasingthenumberofAmericanstudentsstudyinginChinato100,000overfouryears.Wefocusedonstudentexchangesbecausewebelievethatthefutureisveryclearlyinthehandsoftheyoungpeopleofbothofourcountries.Andthemorewecanfosterexchangesandunderstanding,mutualtrust,thebetteroffnotonlytherelationshipwillbe,buteachofourcountriesindividually.Wehavetohavefarmorethanconversationswithdiplomatsorjournalistsorleadersorbusinesspeople.There’snothingmoreimportantthantryingtobuildastructureofexchangesbetweenuswhenitcomestostudentsandotheryoungpeople.Now,we’vemadetremendousprogresssince2010.We’vealreadyexpandedstudyabroadprograms.We’vesupportedscholarshipfundstohelpAmericanstudentsfromunderservedcommunitiesstudyinChina.We’veworkedwithEducationUSAtoprovidetoolsandresourcesforChinesestudentsseekingtostudyhere.AndthenumberofstudentscomingbetweenourtwocountriescontinuestogroButwestillhavealotofroomforimprovement.SoI’mhappytodaythatwe’relaunchingapermanent,independentnonprofitorganizationfocusednotonlyonourgoalof100,000AmericanstudentsinChinaby2014,butoncontinuingtostrengthenthestudentexchangesforyearstocome.AndI’msogratefultoallofourStateDepartmentpartnerswhoareheretodaywhohavehelpedputthe100,000StrongFoundationtogether.AsIthinkbackonthefouryearsthatI’vebeenprivilegedtoserveasSecretaryofState,therearemomentsthatjustjumpoutofmymemorybank.AndoneofthemiswhenIfinallygottoourpavilionattheShanghaiExpo,which,asanumberofyouknow,IamveryproudtobecalledthemotherofwheneverIgotoChinabecauseofthecircumstancesinwhichitwasbirthed.ButwhenIdidgetthereforthismagnificentexpothathadbeenbuiltupwithpavilionsfromaroundtheworldandamagnificentChinesepavilion,IwasthrilledthatthemainattractionofourUSAPavilionwereAmericanstudentswhohadbeenstudyingChinese,whowereourdesignatedhostsandgreeters.AndIhadthebesttimewatchinglonglinesofChinesecitizenswhowerecomingtoseeourpavilionliketheyhadbeencomingtoseeallofthepavilionslookingsurprisedwh...