Thank you for the confidence put in my by the motherland and the people, for giving me this chance to represent China's millions of women by going into space.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I am grateful to the motherland and the people. I feel honored to fly into space on behalf of hundreds of millions of female Chinese citizens.
I'm Chinese-American, of course, and so it's very interesting to see China actually launch their own astronauts, becoming the third nation, following the United States and Russia, to do so.
More women should actively participate in space flight. There are many well educated women working in the space industry; they are very good candidates.
The fact that I was going to be the first American woman to go into space carried huge expectations along with it.
One cannot deny the great role women have played in the world community. My flight was yet another impetus to continue this female contribution.
There are so many women who contributed in a very real way in pushing for the space program during the time in which there was a lot of competition to get into space first, and to know that there were African-American women who were integral in that success is pretty phenomenal.
I want, through my roles, to express the parts in the hearts of Chinese women that they feel unable to let out.
Like Moscow, I wish to lay the foundation of the Chinese Republic deeply in the minds of the young generation - the workers of tomorrow.
Welcome to President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and my fellow astronauts.
Yes, I did feel a special responsibility to be the first American woman in space.