I don't think we should pay people to fight terrorism. I would be amazed if they asked for anything in return.

I am against portraying China as the demon of the global community. China has grasped more quickly than other countries what globalization means and what it demands. The country has learned how to use other people's innovations for itself. India, incidentally, is not far behind China in this respect. Both are not nations in the European sense, but rather cultural communities with enormous markets. The challenge of the future is to work out how to deal with that.

Diplomats operate through deadlock, which is the way by which two sides can test each other's determination. Even if they have egos for it few heads of government have the time to resolve stalemates, their meetings are too short and the demands of protocol too heavy.

The longer I am out of office, the more infallible I appear to myself.

I want to thank you for stopping the applause. It is impossible for me to look humble for any period of time.

Art is man's expression of his joy in labor.

The issues are too important to be left for the voters.