SECRETARY POWELL:

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the State Department and our beautiful Jefferson Room.

Mr. Premier, I welcome you to the State Department this evening, and I think it's useful to let everybody know that you and I have one thing very much in common, even though we are just meeting for the first time, we are both geologists. You actually went off and practiced geology. All I ever did was hide behind rocks during my military career.

Mr. Premier, I know that the President is looking forward very much to your meeting tomorrow in the White House, where you and he will have many important issues to discuss.

But this evening here at the State Department is an opportunity for us to relax, to get to know one another, and to extend to you and your party some of Washington's hospitality.

Mr. Premier, if, as the Chinese proverb says, a thousand mile journey begins with the first step, then we're well on our way to building a productive relationship between our two at countries.

I know that you have been, and will remain, a builder of that relationship.

I read your recent interview with The Washington Post with at interest. I was particularly struck by your comments about the common sacrifices Chinese and Americans have made in helping to shape our relationship and build a better world.

I and many Americans appreciated, particularly, your references to the American Army Air Corps pilots who flew across the hump of the Himalayas to bring assistance to China during World War II.

These sacrifices and those of the Chinese people so many years ago are indeed, as you said, "testimony to the cooperation between Chinese and Americans."

I appreciate your efforts on the AIDS crisis, and I particularly applaud your efforts to remove the stigma of AIDS in China, and to help those so much in need of medical care.

On this and many other matters, you have been candid, constructive, and you have sought cooperative relationships, and that is precisely what we seek with China: a candid, constructive and cooperative relationship.

We need such a relationship ause we have a responsibility to future generations to deepen and expand the peace.

I applaud your contributions in working for a denuclearized North Korea, in helping to reconstruct Iraq, and in bringing stability to your neighbor, Afghanistan. I applaud your help and cooperation in fighting the scourge of terrorism.

We also have a responsibility to future generations to use the wealth that we generate to educate people, to give them an opportunity to better their lives and the lives of their children.

As you said in your interview, we must liberate the creativity and enterprising spirit of our people. We all know that, in the long run, it is their efforts that will achieve our common goal of prosperity and peace, at home and abroad.

To help our people we must also work together to ensure that our markets remain open, and that our expanding economic and trade relationship remains transparent and fair.

But the human spirit craves more than what is material. We also have a responsibility to future generations to find ways for all people to voice their views, by exercising their inalienable right to speak, assemble and worship freely.

And so I would like to propose a toast to the Premier, and to our Chinese colleagues: Toast to the continued advancement of relations between the United States and China.

To a bright future for our nations and our neighbors, and to the work ahead of us to build a secure, prosperous and peaceful world.

Gan bei.
鲍威尔国务卿：

晚上好，女士们、先生们。欢迎各位来到国务院，来到我们漂亮的杰斐逊厅。

总理先生，我欢迎您今晚来到国务院。我想应该告诉大家，虽然你我二人是初次见面，但我们有一个十分相同之处，那就是我们都曾是地质工作者。您曾身体力行从事地质工作，而我所做的只是在从军期间利用岩石作掩护。

总理先生，我知道总统热切期待着明天在白宫与您举行会晤，你们二人将有很多重大问题要讨论。

但今天晚上，我们有机会在国务院这里稍事休息，相互认识，并表示华盛顿对您和您的随行人员的热情款待。

总理先生，如中国古语所说，千里之行始于足下。我们正沿着为我们两个伟大国家建立富有成效关系的道路向前推进。

我知道您一贯并将继续致力于建立这种关系。

我以极大的兴趣阅读了您最近接受《华盛顿邮报》[文章来源：中国大学在线]采访时的谈话。您的谈话提到中美两国人民为缔造两国关系和建立更美好的世界共同做出牺牲，给我留下特别深刻的印象。

我和很多美国人都特别赞赏您谈到二战期间美国"飞虎队"的飞行员飞越喜马拉雅山脉，向中国提供援助的情况。

多年前他们所做的这些牺牲以及中国人民所做的牺牲，确实如您所说，"记载了中美合作的"。

我赞赏您为战胜艾滋病危机所做的努力。我尤其赞赏您努力在中国消除人们因艾滋病产生的羞耻感并帮助急需医疗护理的人。

在这个问题上和在其他很多问题上，您都坦诚相见，建设性地寻求合作关系。这正是我们寻求与中国建立的关系：一种坦诚的、建设性的合作关系。

我们需要这样的关系，因为我们对后代负有加强和扩大和平的责任。

我赞赏您为努力实现北韩无核化，帮助重建伊拉克和促使贵国的邻国阿富汗实现稳定做出的贡献。我赞赏您为打击恐怖主义这一祸患提供的帮助与合作。

我们还对后代负有一项责任，即运用我们生产的财富为人民提供教育，给他们以改善自己的生活及其子女生活的机会。

如您在接受采访时所说，我们必须增强我们的人民的创业和创新动力。我们都知道，从长远来说，只有通过人民的努力才能达到我们的共同目标，在国内外实现繁荣与和平。

为了帮助我们的人民，我们还必须做出共同努力，保证市场始终开放，切实做到双方日益扩大的经济贸易关系保持透明和公平。

但是，人类的志向提出的不仅仅是物质方面的要求。我们还对后代负有另一项责任，即寻求各种途径使所有的人都能表达自己观点，行使其不可剥夺的发表言论、举行集会和信仰宗教的权利。

为此，我向总理，向我们的中国客人提议，为美中两国关系的继续推进乾杯。

为我们两国和我们邻国的光明未来、为我们面临的建立安全、繁荣与和平的世界的重任乾杯。

乾杯。