Governor of the US state of California Arnold Schwarzenegger said here Wednesday that the United States and the world will benefit from China's progress and scientific and technological advances.

Schwarzenegger said in a speech at prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing that China's economy has become an engine of human progress, lifting millions of people out of poverty.

Schwarzenegger delivers a speech at prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing, Nov. 17, 2005. (Photo: Xinhua)

"I often read that China's economy is likely to become the largest in the world over the next 50 years," Schwarzenegger said, noting that this is terrific.

Some in his country fear that China's development will overtake the Unites States' development, he said. "But I believe the United States and the world will benefit from China's scientific and technological advances," he noted, saying the US-China economic relations will become even closer in the years ahead.

"We should welcome China's investment in US firms." That would show that China has faith in the United States, he said.

The Austrian-born actor-turned-politician, who is very familiar to Chinese audiences as a movie hero, also educated Tsinghua students on the importance of seizing dreams. He used his own experiences, from bodybuilding to movie star to governor of one of the most important US states, to tell Chinese youth to make unswerving efforts to achieve their dreams.

(Photo: Xinhua)

Wu Xiao'ai from the university's medical school told Xinhua after the speech that Schwarzenegger's life experiences were very "admiring" and his speech today was very "encouraging".

Schwarzenegger also voiced concerns for Tsinghua student Zhou Guang's brother, who was injured in a car crash and is very depressed. Zhou said his brother is a fan of Schwarzenegger, hoping that Schwarzenegger would write some words for his brother to encourage him to regain faith.

Schwarzenegger said immediately after hearing Zhou's request that he would like to phone Zhou's brother to express his concerns.

When learning that it is not convenient to conduct a phone talks with Zhou's brother, the governor's assistant delivered Schwarzenegger's name card to Zhou, and Schwarzenegger said he will send Zhou a card to encourage Zhou's brother before leaving China.

Schwarzenegger and his economic and trade delegation will leave here Wednesday evening for Shanghai, China's economic hub in east China, to continue their China trip.

Editor: Donald