China and Elsewhere, Obama Finds a Receptive Audience in Youth

But the White House would be quick to point out that those 400 students and local television viewers weren't the only ones to hear Obama's message. The administration organized events to watch the town hall and streamed the event online, accessible to Chinese users -- in a way reinforcing Obama's message that he's for greater access to information everywhere.

On a blog post at the White House Web site, an official noted that "many thousands more young (and not so young) people throughout China attended the event virtually in classrooms, coffee houses, living rooms, and at 'watch parties' organized by the U.S. Embassy and Consulates."

Obama's staffers executed the same type of outreach when they visited Egypt, setting up Internet live streams and even going so far as to text portions of the Cairo speech to mobile phone users worldwide.

During both trips, Obama has been well-received when he targeted youth through either electronic outreach or by meeting with students directly.

Dong Liang, a graduate student in international politics, told Shanghai Daily that seeing Obama was "exciting."

"[He] was candid and sincere in his remarks about the challenges he is facing and the importance of cooperation between the U.S. and China," Dong said. "He is friendly toward our country and gave us confidence about a better world in the future."

When Obama visited Egypt, Tarek Hefni, a 20-year-old student who watched Obama's speech in person, wrote on a New York Times blog post that Obama was "honest" and noted that the "most interesting point is that the speech was not given to political figures, though many of the attendees were political figures. However, it was more focused on university students. This is a unique step to take!"

And in a form symbolic of the connection Obama is trying to make with youth, one Chinese citizen, according to theNew York Times, wrote on Twitter: "I will [not] forget this morning . . . I heard, on my shaky Internet connection, a question about our own freedom which only a foreign leader can discuss."

It seems this young president's outreach to young people around the globe is finding some success.

Obama's efforts may have helped re-establish America's moral voice in the world, but it seems like his motive is less about self-interest and more about empowering the rest of the world's youth. A refreshing effort for a U.S. president to make.