Penn State Chinese Friendship Association

April 23, 2008, Old Main, The Pennsylvania State University

Dear Fellow Chinese and friends from all over the world:

First, on behalf of Penn State Chinese Friendship Association, I would like to thank you all for being here at our Penn State Chinese Community Supporting Beijing Olympics Rally. We thank local and motherland Chinese communities for generous support that makes this Rally possible! And we thank our university for offering us such a great opportunity to gather here today and express our support for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games!

As we all know, the spirit of Olympics is to unite all of the people in the world, to promote peace and harmony among different nations and cultures, and to inspire everyone in the world to be faster, higher and stronger. This year, China, a country with 1.3 billion people – more than one fifth of the world’s population – is proud to host the 29th Summer Olympics in Beijing from August 8th to 24th. It is the first time for our Chinese to host this world’s most prestigious sports event, and we cordially invite everyone who loves peace and supports the Olympic spirits, to Beijing, to our great country China in the summer!

My dear friends, maybe you have never been to China. Then, let us – all the Chinese people abroad tell you, our friends all over the world: the China today is no longer the China of yesterday! The astonishingly rapid development in economy, culture and education is transforming China into one of the most important players in the world stage. Today, China has become one of the largest trade partners of the United States, the European Union, Russia and Africa. Moreover, the connection in culture, science and sports between China and the United States as well as other countries is getting much wider and much deeper, more than ever!

My friends, if you go to China, from the very first day of your arrival, you will receive warm welcome and generous reception. Our international friends who have once been to China will often go back again to re-visit this amazingly attractive country! Chinese people are ready to embrace our friends from all over the world with our hospitality and great passion to make the world a big family without boundaries!

However, my friends, while China is doing its best to promote peace and harmony of the world, we have witnessed some ugly criminals trying to use Olympics for their own political agenda. Dear friends, we were truly shocked when seeing what happened in Lhasa, Tibet last month: many shops, schools, hotels were robbed, vandalized or smashed, more than 50 vehicles were completely destroyed, and nearly 20 innocent civilians who happened to be on the street were killed by the mob. Chinese people, both in mainland and abroad, have suffered tremendous hurt and grief from this riot. The Chinese community, no matter in or outside China, have voluntarily mourned those perished victims, and expressed our condolence through internet and other media.

But the criminals had never stopped committing malevolent crimes. On April 7th, the Olympic Torch Relay was brutally violated under the criminal hands in Paris. While the Chinese have reached our limit of tolerance, we were profoundly inspired by the enormous courage of the torch bearer, Jin Jing, a beautiful young girl and athlete in her wheelchair! We can not be silent any more, and it is why we are here today, to tell everyone that we are against violence. We will not hesitate to stand up to support our motherland! We will never compromise in protecting the spirits and dignity of Olympics! We love China, we support Beijing Olympics, and we will unite people all over the world who love peace, like every one of you standing here, to make this summer a glorious page in Olympic history!

My friends, you may have seen through television that some media, including CNN, have distorted the truth in Tibet in their reports. Burning down houses, destroying cars, and the atrocious killing of innocent civilians have been labeled as a “peaceful demonstration”. No, it is not “peaceful”! It is violent criminal act! Security measures and arrests are justified. But where is the justice in the media?! Moreover, exactly two weeks ago, CNN commentator Jack Cafferty blatantly insulted the Chinese people with a highly despicable assault. This racist and hatred remark is indeed a shame on Cafferty, a shame on CNN, a shame on all the media in the world!

My friends, human rights are the rights of every human being in the world. It belongs to Chinese people including Tibetans as well as those victims in Tibet riots. It belongs to Americans, Europeans, as well as Iraqis and Afghans. It belongs to you and me, to people who are here and who are not here today. We are here to support China, support Beijing Olympics, and support the human right of every single person!

My dear friends, we all share one world that we are living in! We all share one dream that is treasured in everyone’s heart – a dream of a better world: no war, no violence, and no racial discrimination! And all people in this world are united, like all of us here today, to love this dream, to protect this dream, and to make this dream come true with everything we can give!

My dear friends, thank you!

–

Wei Yan, President

Chinese Friendship Association

The Pennsylvania State University