In addition to participating in the SED, the U.S. Department of Labor has other going interaction with China concerning how to improve worker protections. When I visited China for the first time as the Secretary of Labor in June 2004, the Department of Labor signed four Letters of Understanding and during the 2006 SED, we signed two more. In 2007, these Letters were renewed through 2011 and are meant to strengthen cooperation between the United States and China in six key areas of workers protection and data gathering:

- Occupational health and safety

- Mine safety and health

- Private pension administration

- Wage and hour law enforcement

- Unemployment insurance, and

- Labor market statistics

As a follow up to these agreements, cooperation with China on mediating labor disputes has also been established. The Department also provided expertise to help draft the new Labor Contract Law, which went into effect this year. So there is an ongoing discussion and dialogue between the U.S. Department of Labor and its Chinese counterparts to exchange information and expertise on key issues.

The United States, like China, also faces income disparities between regions, including rural and urban regions. The Labor Department and the rest of the government at local, state and federal levels have many programs to address these disparities.

As you have heard, my family and I came to America as a young girl of eight speaking no English. Three years earlier, when I was five years old, my father scored number one in the national examinations. There came an opportunity for my father to go to America to pursue his studies. My mother was then seven month pregnant with their third child, my little sister, at the time. Yet, she didn't hesitate. She encouraged my father to go to America. She did so, not knowing how long this separation would be for our family.

In fact, it took my father three long years before he was able to bring my mother, my two sisters and me to America. He did not even see his third daughter, my sister, May ('‘小美), until she was almost three years old.

I don't need to say that our initial years in America were very challenging. My parents left everything that was familiar to them: their family and friends, their culture, language, traditions, even the food they were accustomed to eating, to live in a foreign country. There were no family members or friends to offer support.

Our little family of five lived in a small, one-bedroom apartment in Queens, New York. My father held three jobs to support the family. Despite all the difficulties, our mother was able to prepare healthy, delicious Chinese meals for our family every night. She managed our household budget so skillfully that we never felt we were needy. She and my father created a loving, secure home for the children. They never lost their forward looking optimism, determination, hope and belief in the basic goodness and decency of the American people. We took comfort in the fact that our family was finally reunited and we were confident that a bright future awaited us.

And my mother and father made sure we celebrated all the Chinese holidays.

I entered the third grade, not understanding a word of English. Every day, I would sit in the classroom and copy whatever was on the blackboard into my notebook. Every night, my father, after a hard day's work, would sit down with me and he would go over my notebook with me, translating the day's lessons and teaching me English. Because I did not understand English, I would inadvertently switch the "b"s and "d"s and the "p"s and the "q"s. My father had a difficult time trying to decipher my childish scrawls. Those late nights of study made me appreciate so much the sacrifices of my parents and strengthened my resolve to be worthy of their love and efforts.

On the weekends, we children were expected to help with household chores. Being a diligent, energetic person, my father enjoyed fixing things around the house. While he was doing this, he would always have one daughter with him helping to hold the flashlight and carry his tool box. While he worked, he told us stories about my mother and his childhood and their parents and imbued us with Chinese philosophical thinking all the while teaching us to fix things around the house as well.

Indeed, my parents are incredibly inspiring people. While we were growing up, they provided a wonderful example to us through their lives and service to others. They taught their children of our obligation to work hard, be willing to make sacrifices, and be disciplined. They taught us to always work for something bigger than ourselves, to contribute to our country and to bring honor to our family and community. They also taught us Chinese values that strengthened us and helped us to persevere and excel. My father and my mother deserve much of the praise and credit for who my sisters and I are today.

When we first came to America, our family was often the only Asian American family in the entire town. Today, America is much more diverse. This rich diversity is one of America's greatest strengths. So when people ask me what America looks like, I say America is like a mirror to the rest of the world.

Some of you have asked about the comparisons between American and Chinese culture. First, let me say that there are many similarities. Both cultures treasure the family, believe strongly in the importance of education and acknowledge hard work as a path to success. But there are many cultural differences, as well.

In Asian society, doing what is best for the group is stressed. In western society, individual achievement is prized, promoted and emphasized.

Asian culture emphasizes self-effacement and sacrifice. In western society, one needs to be one's own best advocate.

Asian culture teaches the values of harmony and stability. In western society, finding new and better ways of doing things is highly valued and change is the norm.

It is possible to observe these trends in action with little children. In the West, youngsters are encouraged to speak up, to make decisions (such as deciding which clothing to wear; what food they prefer), and to make their own choices. Individualism is celebrated. In Asia, children are taught to wait their turn to speak and to defer to elders.

Neither way of looking at the world is necessarily better than the other. Each has its own unique advantages in a worldwide economy. But, when two cultures communicate in such different ways, there are likely to be misunderstandings and miscommunications. That's why it's important to have more interaction and communication between these two cultures.

Our world is increasingly interlinked. China is the world's largest developing country and America is the world's largest developed country. The relationship between our two countries will only grow. Invariably, there will be ups and downs. And that's why we need to communicate, learn to understand one another, and share our mutual experiences, so that the people in both of our countries can thrive and prosper.

So thank you very much for the opportunity to share some thoughts with you today.

Now, I would be happy to take some questions.

(Source: http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn)