Peking University. Beijing. March 26, 2010: Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai delivered a speech in Peking University on March 25, 2010. This was his second time speaking at PKU. His last visit was in 2006.

PKU President Zhou warmly welcomed President Hamid Karzai to PKU and gave him a present. President Zhou reflected back on the friendship between China and Afghanistan, including the cultural communications and economic cooperation. He said Peking University greatly values the cooperative relationship with Afghanistan in higher education and hopes to bring it a new level. PKU Vice President Wu Zhipan directed the lecture.

President Hamid Karzai gave a brilliant speech on the historical relationship between the two neighboring countries as well as the challenges and opportunities they face now.

"People set foot on the moon, but seldom visit their neighbors"

Karzai says while the communications between the two neighbors dates back to time when Buddhism was introduced to China, the knowledge about each other now is so poor. “People set foot on the moon, but seldom visit their neighbors” He considers the regional communications and cooperation in economy, trade and especially culture are of great importance.

 “I love to eat Chinese pears. Many fruits in Afghanistan are imported from China. ” He says. Besides the trade of industrial and agricultural products, the educational, cultural exchange is also critical. “I have watched CCTV9, the programs often introduce history of places all over the world including Afghanistan. I like it.”

When students asked questions, President Karzai encourages Afghan students to speak in Chinese. The Chinese students with fluent Persian and English also won the president’s commendations.

“Let us solve our problems together” 

Karzai thinks terrorism, extremism and regional integration are the common problems we face. For the former, Karzai’s reply is “Let us solve our problems together”. And for the latter, he points out that China, Japan, India and Russia are four giant powers in the region. Besides those countries, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey also play an important role. He illustrates the integration of Europe, “Half a century ago, countries in Europe were still fighting with each other. But now, a visa would allow you to travel around Europe conveniently. European countries, especially France and Germany made great efforts to promote the integration of the region.  

Besides, he thinks regional reciprocity is very important. He compares China to a teapot filled with water. When the “teapot” is full, more water added will spill over to its neighbors.

"Common roots of the nation bring people happiness"

Faced with the invasion of western culture and value, Karzai thinks that while learning the advanced science and technology, the root of the nation, the culture and tradition should be emphasized for it is “rich and deep, beautiful, tender and moving”. He believes the root will bring people peace and happiness. “To be wealthy does not mean to be happy. Some people who live in remote villages, who have no clue about the GDP, are much happier than those in modern skyscrapers. ”

When talking about the expectation for the university students, Karzai sincerely says that “As the leaders of China and even the world in the future, I hope you remember your responsibilities to the whole world, to human beings when you pursue your own dreams and interests.”

Edited by: Connie Chang

Translated by: HAN Yafei

Source: PKU news (Chinese)