US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Visits NYU Shanghai

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his delegation visited NYU Shanghai on Thursday, April 25.

From left: US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chancellor Tong Shijun, Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman, Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen, and US Consul General in Shanghai Scott Walker

Chancellor Tong Shijun, Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman, and Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen welcomed Secretary Blinken to the University’s New Bund Campus.

NYU Shanghai Chancellor Tong Shijun, Vice Chancellor Jeffrey Lehman, and Provost Joanna Waley-Cohen welcomed the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at NYU Shanghai’s New Bund Campus.

Secretary Blinken said the visit was an important opportunity to talk with and hear from students. “I think what you’re engaged in is so important to the future of both of our countries,” he said. “This relationship between China and the United States is one of the most consequential, one of the most complicated, in the world.” He emphasized that building connections and understanding between citizens of both countries is crucial, “especially with students, with Americans studying in China, Chinese students studying in the United States, getting to know each other’s countries, getting to know each other.”

US Secretary of State Blinken interacted with NYU Shanghai student representatives.

He spent more than half an hour engaged in an informal conversation with members of the student body. “It was a great honor to introduce Secretary Blinken to our university,” said Vice Chancellor Lehman, who moderated the conversation. “I know that our students enjoyed the opportunity to talk with him about their experiences studying in such a deeply multicultural community.”

US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns and US Consul General in Shanghai Scott Walker accompanied Secretary Blinken during the visit. Last August, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo also visited NYU Shanghai.