Of course, each sovereign nation must decide which of these goals it decides to reach, and when and how to achieve them. From my own observations, the village elections in China have been remarkably successful and popular. There are still unanswered questions in some areas concerning the relationship between elected leaders and those appointed by higher officials, but most of these questions are being answered successfully. Political reform is a slow process, as has been proven in America, other cou

　　ntries, and even here in the village election process that began fifteen years ago.

　　Democracy is not a scary thing. It is, in essence, a set of procedures that all parties involved agree to observe. China’s experience has proven this point. When called upon to elect their own

　　leaders, the rural residents were suspicious at first, but they participated earnestly when they finally realized that this was indeed what the government was encouraging them to do. As a result of this massive participation, the provisional organic law of the villager committee was suddenly inadequate because it did not contain necessary procedures to secure free and fair competition and transparent governance. The law was revised in 1998 and, once again, needs to be amended.

　　Deng Xiaoping long ago declared that no basic reform of any kind could move forward without political reform. You have already taken early steps, and future decisions concerning democracy remain for your citizens and leaders.

　　When I met with President Jiang Zemin two years ago, he told me about his July 1 speech and described the theory of “three represents”. He agreed with me that one of the best ways to fully realize the “three represents” was to allow people to choose their leaders in the best and most responsible manner.

　　So, 84 years since the May 4 movement, the Chinese debate on the merits of democracy is still ongoing. Beida is as always one of the most important forums of this discussion. I hope you will all participate in this debate and, as before, help to shape the future of your own nation. th