Obama with APEC leaders in Singapore in local attireThe town hall will be live streamed at WhiteHouse.gov. The town hall will begin at 11:45 pm eastern. From Ben Rhodes:
I think what we expect for the event is that there's an audience of several hundred students, young people, young Chinese. They come from several different universities in the Shanghai area. They were I think largely invited by the departments of those universities, the department heads within those universities. We have also solicited questions through various Internet -- various sources on the Internet, so that the President will be taking questions both from students in the room but he'll also have the opportunity to take -- have questions that came in through the Internet. And we have, again, a number of different ways in which Internet questions have been coming in that the President can then answer. PoliticoSee a video of China's reaction to Obama's visit here. Full coverage of Obama's visit here.
Obama has arrived in China. From China Daily:
United States President Barack Obama arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport and in one step, kicking off his first visit to China.Obama popular with younger people:
More importantly, he will begin negotiations with China that will likely take a more cooperative tone than that of his predecessors.
Obama's Air Force One landed in Shanghai at about 11:16 pm in heavy downpour with Chinese Ambassador to the US Zhou Wenzhong greeting him.
His motorcade of black limos then left for Portman Ritz-Carlton Hotel at the city's center. The hotel has been sealed off by local police for more than a day.
The 48-year-old is the first US president to visit China within the first year of taking office. He will arrive in Beijing tomorrow afternoon during his four-day visit and meet with President Hu Jintao, top legislator Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The China trip is also part of his first trip to Asia as president. In his wide-ranging speech in Japan on Saturday, Obama said he would welcome, not fear, a robust China as a powerful partner on urgent challenges.
Amid piles of paperwork in his simple office on the outskirts of Beijing, a 28-year-old public welfare lawyer pauses to say his job is special because he feels a kinship with the most powerful man in the United States.
"I am young, passionate and dedicated to helping the poor of the community with my knowledge," said Li Songchen, who represents migrant workers at the Beijing Zhicheng Law Firm.
"Barack Obama at my age was doing the same thing."
When he was in his twenties, Obama worked for a church-based community organization on Chicago's far South Side and worked on civil rights cases with a small law firm.
The same drive to support the disadvantaged helps Li tackle challenges on the job and in life.
Li lives on a thin salary and deals with legal cases that often last years and offer few opportunities to win.
"Part of the reasons for Obama's popularity comes from his knowledge of ordinary people through his grassroots and community experience," Li said.
"The more you talk to the people at the bottom, the most disadvantaged people, the wider vision you gain, the better communication skills you acquire," Li said.
Li is among the young Chinese who have gained new perspectives about their responsibilities, and about equality and sacrifice through Obama's stories.
As the first African-American president, at age 48, Obama has made himself approachable to young people with his smiles, and through Internet communication tools including Twitter and Facebook.
"Whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical what gives me the most hope is the next generation: the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change has already made history" Obama said in March 2008. China Daily
