To me March 28th was a lucky day. It was on that particular                   evening that I found myself at central stage, in the                   spotlight. Winning the 21st Century·Ericsson Cup Seventh                   National English Speaking Competition is a memory that I shall                   treasure and one that will surely stay.                   More important than winning the Cup is the friendship that has                   been established and developed among the contestants, and the                   chance to communicate offstage in addition to competing                   onstage. Also the competition helps boost public speaking in                   China, a skill hitherto undervalued.                   For me, though, the competition is a more personal experience.                   Habitually shy, I had been reluctant to take part in any such                   activities. Encouraged by my friends, however, I made a                   last-minute decision to give it a try. In the course of                   preparation I somehow rediscovered myself, a truer me.                   I found that, after all, I like communicating with other                   people; that exchanging views can be so much fun—and so much                   rewarding, both emotionally and intellectually; that public                   speaking is most effective when you are least guarded; and                   that it is essential to success in every walk of life.                   At a more practical level, I realized knowing what you are                   going to say and how you are going to say it are equally                   important. To take the original ideas out of your head and                   transplant them, so to speak, to that of others, you need to                   have an organized mind. This ability improves with training.                   Yet there should not be any loss or addition or distortion in                   the process. Those ideas that finally find their way into                   another head need to be recognizably yours. Language is a                   means to transmit information, not a means to obstruct                   communication. It should be lucid to be penetrating.                   In China, certain public speaking skills have been unduly                   emphasized. Will it really help, we are compelled to ask, to                   bang at the podium or yell at the top of your lungs, if you                   have come with a poorly organized speech, a muddled mind, and                   unwillingness to truly share your views?                   Above all, the single most important thing I learnt was that                   as a public speaker, you need to pay attention, first and                   foremost, to the content of your speech. And second, the                   structure of your speech: how one idea relates and progresses                   to another.                   Only after these come delivery and non-verbal communication:                   speed control, platform manner, and so on. Pronunciation is                   important, yet of greater importance is this: Is your language                   competent enough to express your ideas exactly the way you                   intend them to be understood?                   I was informed afterwards that I was chosen to be the winner                   for my appropriately worded speech, excellent presence and                   quick-witted response. In so remarking, the judges clearly                   showed their preference: they come to listen for meaningful                   ideas, not for loose judgments, nor easy laughters.                   Some contestants failed to address their questions head on.                   Some were able to, but did not know where to stop—the dragging                   on betrayed their lack of confidence. The root cause was that                   they did not listen attentively to the questions. Or they were                   thinking of what they had prepared.                   As I said in my speech, It is vitally important that we young                   people do more serious thinking ... to take them [issues like                   globalization] on and give them honest thinking is the first                   step to be prepared for both opportunities and challenges                   coming our way. We need to respond honestly.                   A competition like this draws talented students from all over                   the country. And of course, I learnt more things than just                   about public speaking. Since in the final analysis, public                   speaking is all about effective communication. And this goes                   true for all communications, whatever their setting.                   And the following is the final version of my speech:                   GLOBALIZATION:                   OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES                   FOR CHINAS YOUNGER GENERATION                   Thirty years ago, American President Richard Nixon made an                   epoch-making visit to China, a country still isolated at that                   time. Premier Zhou Enlai said to him, Your handshake came                   over the vastest ocean in the world—twenty-five years of no                   communication. Thirty years since, China and America have                   exchanged many handshakes. The fundamental implication of this                   example is that the need to communicate across differences in                   culture and ideology is not only felt by the two countries but                   by many other nations as well.                   As we can see today, environmentalists from different                   countries are making joint efforts to address the issue of                   global warming, economists are seeking solutions to financial                   crises that rage in a particular region but nonetheless                   cripple the world economy, and politicians and diplomats are                   getting together to discuss the issue of combating terrorism.                   Peace and prosperity has become a common goal that we are                   striving for all over the world. Underlying this mighty trend                   of global communication is the echo of E. M. Forsters words                   Only connect!                   With the IT revolution, traditional boundaries of human                   society fall away. Our culture, politics, society and commerce                   are being sloshed into one large melting pot of humanity. In                   this interlinked world, there are no outsiders, for a                   disturbance in one place is likely to impact other parts of                   the globe. We have begun to realize that a world divided                   cannot endure.                   China is now actively integrating into the world. Our recent                   entry to the WTO is a good example. For decades, we have taken                   pride in being self-reliant, but now we realize the importance                   of participating in and contributing to a broader economic                   order. From a precarious role in the world arena to our                   present WTO membership, we have come a long way.                   But what does the way ahead look like? In some parts of the                   world people are demonstrating against globalization. Are they                   justified, then, in criticizing the globalizing world? Instead                   of narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor, they say,                   globalization enables the developed nations to swallow the                   developing nations wealth in debts and interest.                   Globalization, they argue, should be about a common interest                   in every other nations economic health.                   We are reminded by Karl Marx that capital goes beyond national                   borders and eludes control from any other entity. This has                   become a reality. Multinational corporations are seeking the                   lowest cost, the largest market, and the most favourable                   policy. They are often powerful lobbyists in government                   decision-making, ruthless expansionists in the global market                   and a devastating presence to local businesses.                   For China, still more challenges exist. How are we going to                   ensure a smooth transition from the planned economy to a                   market-based one? How to construct a legal system that is                   sound enough and broad enough to respond to the needs of a                   dynamic society? How to maintain our cultural identity in an                   increasingly homogeneous world? And how to define greatness in                   our rise as a peace-loving nation? Globalization entails                   questions that concern us all.                   Like many young people my age in China, I want to see my                   country get prosperous and enjoy respect in the international                   community. But it seems to me that mere patriotism is not just                   enough. It is vitally important that we young people do more                   serious thinking and broaden our mind to bigger issues. There                   might never be easy answers to those issues such as                   globalization, but to take them on and give them honest                   thinking is the first step to be prepared for both                   opportunities and challenges coming our way. This is also one                   of the thoughts that came to me while preparing this speech.