Thank you, sir. Thank you, Mr. President. It is quite an honor to be introduced by your da

d. This has got to be a historic moment: father and son, two Presidents, opening up an embassy. I suspect it's the first, although I must confess I haven't done a lot of research into the itinerary of the Adams boys. //

My dad was a fabulous President. And I tell people one reason why was not only did he know what he was doing, he was a fabulous father. Mr. Ambassador, honored guests, Laura and I, and my brother and my sister, are proud to be here with our dad as we open and dedicate this new embassy. No doubt this is an impressive complex. To me it speaks of the importance of our relations with China. It reflects the solid foundation underpinning our relations. It is a commitment to strengthen that foundation for years to come. //

I thank all those who designed and built the embassy, and all those who work here to advance the interests and values of our great nation. Dad and I are honored that Counselor Dai has joined us; and Minister Xie; Ambassador Zhou—who, by the way, opened a new Chinese embassy in Washington, D. C. , designed by I. M. Pei a couple weeks ago. We appreciate our friend Anne Johnson being here, he is the Director of the Art in Embassies Program. Dr. Kissinger, thanks for coming. //

It takes a special band to open the embassy—out of West Texas—Odessa, Texas, for that matter, the Gatlin boys are with us today. I thank the Red Poppies, thank you for your talent. And finally, I want to pay tribute to Sandy Randt, who has done a fabulous job as our Ambassador to China. Sandy, thank you and We're proud to be here with those citizens of ours who work at the embassies, and we say thanks to the Chinese nationals who make our embassy go, as well. //

I'm honored to represent the United States at the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games here in Beijing. And I'm looking forward to cheering our athletes on. Mr. Ambassador, I'm not making any predictions about medal counts, but I can tell you the U.S. athletes are ready to come and compete, in the spirit of friendship. You know, during my last visit here I had the opportunity to break in the mountain biking course. I was so proud of my efforts, I told Laura I was thinking about entering the competition myself. She reminded me they don't give any medals for last place. //

Tonight the Olympic torch will light the home of an ancient civilization with a grand history. Thousands of years ago, the Chinese people developed a common language and unified a great nation. China became the center for art and literature, commerce and philosophy. China advanced the frontiers of knowledge in medicine, astronomy, navigation, engineering, and many other fields. And the Chinese are even said to have invented the parachute—something for which the 41st President is very grateful. //

We share a long history. The first American ship arrived in China just after the year we won our independence. World War Ⅱ, Americans and Chinese fought side by side to liberate this land from Imperial Japan. We all remember very clearly, Dr. K, when President Nixon came to Beijing to begin a new era of dialogue between our nations. You might remember that yourself. //

Today the United States and China have built a strong relationship, rooted in common interests. China has opened its economy and begun to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of its people. America will continue to support China on the path toward a free economy. We're also cooperating to fight pandemic diseases and respond to natural disasters. And through the Six-Party Talks, we're working together to ensure that the Korean Peninsula is free of nuclear weapons. //

The relationship between our nations is constructive and cooperative and candid. We'll continue to be candid about our mutual global responsibilities. We