EDUCATION SECRETARY SPELLINGS' MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SHANGHAI 000647

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/CM
STATE PASS TO DEPT OF EDUCATION - ROBIN GILCHRIST

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/4/2017
TAGS: PGOV SOCI PREL CH
SUBJECT: EDUCATION SECRETARY SPELLINGS' MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER
YANG JIECHI

CLASSIFIED BY: Kenneth Jarrett, Consul General, U.S. Consulate ,
Shanghai .
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C) Summary. On October 2, the U.S. Special Olympics
Delegation, headed by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings,
met with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. Secretary Spellings
expressed appreciation for China's support for the Special
Olympics and delivered a letter from President Bush to President
Hu congratulating China on hosting the summer games in Shanghai.
FM Yang acknowledged the importance of supporting people with
intellectual disabilities and said the Special Olympics provides
a good opportunity for the two countries to learn from each
other. He acknowledged U.S. contributions to the birth and
growth of the Special Olympics movement. FM Yang urged that
more be done to facilitate youth exchanges, expand science and
technology cooperation, and increase cultural exchanges and
language training. This would help build a solid social
foundation for the sustained and stable development of
U.S.-China relations. End Summary.

Support for Special Olympics
--------------


2. (SBU) Education Secretary Spellings, accompanied by the
Ambassador and other members of the U.S. Special Olympics
Delegation, met with FM Yang Jiechi on October 2. (See list of
participants in para 8.) FM Yang thanked the United States for
sending such a high-level and diverse delegation to the Special
Olympics, which he described as a symbol of the tremendous
importance President Bush and the First Lady attach to the games.


3. (C) Secretary Spellings expressed appreciation for China's
efforts in hosting the games. She said that the delegation, the
first ever Presidential-level delegation named for the Special
Olympics, is thrilled to be in China. She described a visit
earlier that day to a "Sunshine Home" in Shanghai, a facility
which attends to the needs and well-being of children with
intellectual disabilities. The delegation enjoyed observing
China's approach to supporting people with intellectual
disabilities. Yang noted that President Hu, currently in
Shanghai for the opening ceremony, had also visited a "Sunshine
Home." President Hu also met with athletes and talked to them
and even served as a referee in a game of tug-of-war. Secretary
Spellings delivered a letter from President Bush to President Hu
congratulating China for hosting the summer games in Shanghai.
FM Yang expressed appreciation for the important letter, which
he promised to deliver promptly to President Hu.


4. (SBU) FM Yang recognized U.S. contributions to the birth and
growth of the Special Olympics movement. Like the United
States, China also places great importance on helping people
with intellectual disabilities. China believes that such people
are an important part of society and can also make valuable
contributions to society. The Special Olympics provide a good
occasion to work with other countries to find more opportunities
to improve the lives of those with intellectual disabilities.
Yang added that China is confident that with the support of
people from all walks of life, the Shanghai games will be an
excellent event. The games encapsulate the ideal of building a
harmonious society.

Expand Educational Exchanges
--------------


5. (SBU) FM Yang noted Secretary Spellings November 2006 visit
to Beijing and her contributions to promoting educational
exchange and cooperation. He urged that more be done to
facilitate youth exchanges, increase cooperation in the field of
science and technology, and expand cultural exchanges and
language training. Increasing exchanges between young people
will build a solid social foundation for the sustained and
stable development of U.S.-China relations. Yang noted that
during President Hu's last trip to the United States he invited
100 students and faculty from Yale University to China. He then
personally met with the delegation in Beijing. FM Yang
encouraged increased cooperation in the science and technology
field. With globalization comes a need to increase the number
of technology and scientific specialists. China is striving to
become an innovation based society and has set long-term
guidelines to turn itself into a high-tech country.

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6. (SBU) Yang said that China is also making efforts to
increase cultural exchanges and language training. Currently
more than one-third of China's overseas students are in the
United States, citing a figure of 80,000. He said there were
currently 10,000 U.S. students in China nd more than 20
Confucian Institutes in the United States. China provides these
institutes with faculty, textbooks and equipment to support
language training. He joked that the Chinese language is not a
difficult language since one-fifth of the world's population
speaks it. He added that China looks forward to continued
support from the United State for English language training. He
told Secretary Spellings to rest assured that the number of
people in China who speak English with an American accent now
outnumbers those who speak with his British accent, acquired
during his student days in the UK. He concluded that there is
great potential for expanding educational exchanges and
developing the overall relationship. He thanked Secretary
Spellings for her role in facilitating student visa issuance for
Chinese students and called for stronger cooperation between
China's Ministry of Education and U.S. Department of Education
to improve relations between the United States and China.


7. (SBU) Secretary Spellings expressed delight that the
U.S.-China relationship is flourishing on the cultural and
educational level. Student visa numbers have now returned to
pre-9/11 levels and the United States is the number two
destination for Chinese students. China is the ninth most
popular destination for U.S. students and interest is growing
quickly. In a globalized world there is a great need for the
United States and China to understand each other better. She
added that the United States is also interested in strengthening
the study of science and technology and math. In that regard,
the President just signed legislation to give more support to
exchanges and improve the study of science and technology. She
agreed with FM Yang that there are many areas ripe for continued
cooperation and that this would benefit both nations.


8. (U) Participants:

U.S. Side: Secretary Spellings, Ambassador Randt, Mr. Ernie
Banks, Ms. Lynn Fuchs, Mr. John Hager, Ms. Michelle Kwan, Ms.
Jennifer Polk Wardlow, CG Jarrett, Ms. Robin Gilchrist (Dept of
Education),Ambassador Special Assistant Michael Crain,
notetaker Titi Baccam and interpreter Jim Brown.

PRC Side: FM Yang Jiechi, Assistant VM He Yafei, DG Liu Jieyi,
DG WU Hailong, DG Liu Jianchao, and notetakers.


9. (U) This message was cleared by Secretary Spellings'
delegation.
JARRETT