U.S. President Bill Clinton: Promoting China-U.S. Friendship with the Great Wall

From June 25 to July 3, 1998, then U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton came to China for a friendly nine-day visit with his wife and daughter.

On the afternoon of June 28, Clinton climbed the Mutianyu Great Wall in Beijing. In June, the Great Wall was decorated with lush trees and a gentle breeze was blowing, and as he stood on the Great Wall, the president couldn’t help but marvel at the view, “Pretty amazing，isn't it？”

The Clintons walked hand in hand to the 15th watchtower, and then climbed with their daughter to the 16th watchtower – the most treacherous section of the Great Wall. President Clinton couldn’t help but exclaim, “The Great Wall is so steep and undulating, it’s much more spectacular than I thought it would be.”

In fact, the day before Clinton climbed the Great Wall, he used the Great Wall as the subject of a press conference to express his desire to deepen China-U.S. friendship. “Tomorrow Hillary and I will visit the Great Wall. The Wall’s builders knew they were building a permanent monument, even if they were unable to see it finished in their lifetimes. Likewise, we know we are building a friendship that will serve our descendants well, even if we ourselves will not see its full development across the next century, and into the new millennium. Our friendship may never be perfect, no friendship is, but I hope it will last forever. I hope our friendship will continue forever.”

He told reporters in China and the United States, “The Great Wall is a symbol of China, a symbol to show the world a unified Chinese nation no longer needs a wall to keep people out.”

This trip to China was an unforgettable one for President Clinton. It also opened a “window” for Americans to learn more about China.

As Clinton said, the United States and China would not only become partners, but also restore a true friendship that will benefit the people of both countries and the entire world.