Respected President Bud Philbrook,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Having just enjoyed the Tang Dynasty Dancers, our minds seem still to be with our ancestors, intoxicated by the glory of our ancient civilization during that golden age in Chinese history. At that time Xi'an was one of the largest and most developed cities on earth, receiving caravans from along the Silk Road, and entertaining guests of all circles from around the known world.It was a time that China benefited from opening up to the outside world and learning and accepting new ideas from other nations and peoples.

The speedy progress China has made in the past two decades has once again proven this to be true.However, nothing could be possible without efficient and effective communication among the different peoples of the world.Information technology has made the world as small as a global village and has put the whole world at our fingertips.And yet, if we could not master the means of communication, I mean foreign languages, nothing would be possible and opportunities would be forever lost.Therefore a fairly good command of a foreign language, in most cases English, becomes indispensable for the modern day future of the Chinese people.

As a veteran teacher of the English language, I have all the reasons to believe that it is not an easy job to have a good command of the English language, especially in a non-English speaking environment. Therefore we are most appreciative and grateful to the Global Volunteers for their contributions in helping us improve the English language education in our school system and the general English language ability of the people in our province.

I would like now to propose a toast to the sustainable improvement of the English language ability of our people, to the outstanding service provided by the contingent of the Global Volunteers, to the further development of the Global Volunteers Service Program in China, to the everlasting Sino-American people’s friendship, to the continued expansion of volunteerism in China and the world, and to the health of the members of Team 100 and everyone here present.

Cheers!