Chengdu girl invited to Obama's swearing-in ceremony

A 16-year-old girl from Sichuan who went out of her way to raise money for victims of the May 12 earthquake in the province has been invited to the White House. She will attend the swearing-in of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States on January 20.

Li Zizi, a fourth grader in the Chengdu Experimental Foreign Languages School in Sichuan's capital, is scheduled to arrive in the US on January 17 as one of about 200 senior high school students from across the world taking part in the inauguration.

Li will stay in the US for five days, Yang Xing, an official from her school, told China Daily yesterday.

Li will meet students from other countries who have also been invited to the ceremony. She will also attend a lecture by former US vice-president Al Gore, participate in a simulated presidential election held at Yale University and go to a soiree in which the history and politics of the US will be introduced, before she returns to China.

Li will have to pay for her own travel expenses, but she said she felt very lucky to be going on the trip.

"It was a pleasant surprise to receive the invitation sent by a department under the US Congress in August. I admire Obama, whose speeches have touched me greatly," Li said.

Li is looking forward to Obama's inauguration as the highlight of her upcoming trip.

She is slated to be seated in the VIP section and "near Obama".

So what would she say to the 44th US president, given the chance?

"We expect you to bring about changes to the world," Li said.

Li was chosen to attend the ceremony because she distinguished herself during the Global Young Leaders Conference held in New York and Washington this summer, Yang said.

The forum drew more than 300 students aged 15 to 19. About 200 of them spoke on issues such as the environment, world peace and refugees. They also simulated UN sessions to settle international disputes.

Li, who was a team leader, led 50 members to solve a simulative crisis on an island. She received the invitation for Inauguration Day soon after the forum ended.

The student is now reading books about American politics and etiquette to prepare for the event, Yang told China Daily.

Li, whose mother is a native of Chengdu and working as a university professor in Japan, had studied in an international school in Osaka before she returned to Chengdu in September.

She was born and raised in Japan, where she was when the May 12 quake struck.

"I was so worried. We were on the phone and on the computer dialing away and we couldn't get through to anyone because all the phone connections were down," Li said yesterday.

"I couldn't wait to get back and start volunteering for stuff and fundraising."

Li baked cookies for sale at her school and sold some of her watercolor paintings, to raise money for quake victims.

She eventually earned $500 and used the money to buy school supplies for children in quake-hit Dujiangyan.

Li also sponsored a first and third grader from a quake-hit school, pledging to pay for their tuition fees until they graduate from senior high school.

Because of her own upbringing abroad, Li said she feels a kinship with Obama, whom she called a "miracle".