This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. In this special year, I am honored to be invited to Rotary Club of Suva, a very influential organization, to exchange views with all of you present today. My speech today is entitled "A Peacefully Developing China".
A. Achievements and Prospect
During the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the founding the People's Republic of China, we were overwhelmed by compliments and high praises from world leaders, experts and friends. As Chinese, we must remain sober-minded. However, we are aware that their comments are all based on China's great achievements toward prosperity.
During the past 60 years, especially the recent 30 years, China's economy sustained fast growth. China's GDP enjoyed an annual increase of 9.8%, 6.8% higher than the world average. China's GDP in 2008 reached US$3.86 trillion, 6.4% of the total of the world and ranking 3rd among all countries.
China now ranks among the highest of the world in many areas. In industry, among 22 broad categories of International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC), China ranks first for 7 and among top three for other 15. China's output of many products rank first in the world, such as steel, coal, fertilizer, cement, cloth and TV set, photocopier, microwave oven, cell phone, digital camera and computer. In agriculture, according to the statistics of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), China ranks at the first place in many produces, such as rice, peanuts, cotton,tea and fruits. During the 60 years, income for urban and rural citizens has annually increased by 5.2% and 7.2% respectively. Chinese people once lacking basic living necessities now enjoy initial prosperity.
More importantly, when looking ahead, people see great potential and bright future. Firstly, China's further development has the guarantee of science and technology and abundant human resources. China's annual spending on research and development has reached US$70 billion, ranking sixth in the world. China has 4.544 million scientific and technical workers among which 1.614 million are scientists and engineers. Every year, over 6 million students graduate from universities in China, ranking first in the world. Secondly, as a developing country, China is still in the process of industrialization, urbanization and internationalization. China's per capita income is below the world's average. We have much to do to satisfy people's growing material and cultural needs. The central and western area of China remains under-developed. The rural market has huge potential for domestic consumption. Thirdly, it is an unswerving goal for the Chinese government and people to realize modernization. China so far has completed the first two steps of its Three-Step Development Strategy, and is now in the process of the third. Upon the completion of the third step, Chinese people's living standard will have reached the level of medium-developed country. This is the set goal for the Chinese communist party, the Chinese government and the Chinese people. And this is the political guarantee for a more prosperous China following the path of peaceful development.
B. Key to China's Success
What has contributed to China's success? Everyone wants to find the answer. I googled "Chinese road for prosperity" at the internet and got 4.69 million items. This shows people's great interest in the question. It took China a long and twisted journey to achieve its success. There's a Chinese saying "Failure is the mother of success". I think we might be able to find the key by studying the history.
China is a country with 5000-year history and ancient civilization. It had enjoyed a long period of prosperity and glory. However, since the mid of the 19th century, China began to slip into backwardness and decline. In 1840, the British imperialists started the Opium War in China. From then, old western powers invaded and plundered China, carved up China's territory. In 1931, Japanese imperialists waged the aggressive war against China, which lasted for 14 years. During the 100 years since the Opium War, the Chinese people were plunged into an abyss of suffering by the feudal dynasty of Qing, separatist regime of warlords, military dictatorship, political corruption and economic downturn. The 100-year modern history is of darkness and pain. Some men of vision tried very hard to pull China out of abyss. They started Westernization Movement and Reform Movements in the year of Wuxu (1898). However, both were focused on reform patching the Qing Dynasty's system and ended in failure. The Revolution of 1911 led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen saw the establishment of the Republic of China. Unfortunately, it ended with a military dictatorial regime. In 1949, under the leadership of the Chinese communist party, the People's Republic of China was founded. China finally put an end to the history of semi-colonialism and semi-feudalism, and achieved real independence, democracy and freedom. Copying the model of Soviet Union, China established a planned economy system based on public ownership. But it failed to meet the needs for developing China's productivity. Exacerbated by various political movements, especially the severe impact of the Culture Revolution, China lagged far behind in the world in 1960s and 1970s.
In 1978, China adopted the reform and opening up policy. Economically, we began to change the planned economy into the market-oriented economy. Politically, we adhered to the leadership of the Chinese communist party, perfected and strengthened socialist democracy and laws and orders, and embarked on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. This path is different from both the socialism model of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Europe and the model of the western capitalism. It is focused on economic construction and people oriented. It relies on the market to regulate economic activities while the government retains strong macroeconomic control. It guarantees the democratic rights and freedom of citizens while ensuring the political stability and harmony of all ethnic groups within China. It follows the independent foreign policy of peace, and commits China to friendly cooperation with all other countries and promotion of the establishment of a harmonious world.
When people view China's success from different perspectives, they may find different answers to the question, such as people's diligence and the favorable international environment. In my opinion, the most fundamental reason for China's success is the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is by following this path that China has successfully mobilized all resources within the country, overcome all kinds of difficulties, and created the miracle of social and economic development.
C. Significance of China's Development on the World
China is a big developing country with the largest population and the 3rd largest territory. Its development undoubtedly has big significance on the world. As a Chinese diplomat, I am very proud to say that China has never caused any trouble to the world. In recent decades, there have been conflicts and wars in few regions, but none is related to China. The global economy has experienced volatilities and crises, but none originated in China. On the contrary, with its own stability, prosperity and peaceful diplomacy, China has made important contributions to world stability and development. With less than 10% of world's arable land, China supports 20% of world's population. Every year, China exports products of US$1.4 trillion with high quality and low prices, bringing concrete benefits to peoples of other countries. And China's annual import of US$ 1.1 trillion is a big boost for related countries' economic growth. In the past 30 years, over 280,000 foreign enterprises have invested more than US$ 1 trillion in China. They participated in and shared the fruits of China's development. Since 2007, China's contribution rate to the global economic growth has been over 19%, ranking the 1st in the world.
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China cares about and makes important contributions to world peace and security in its own way. China pursues the independent foreign policy of peace, insists on solving international conflicts through peaceful means rather than appealing to arms. China has properly resolved problems left over by history with its neighboring countries, thus friendliness and cooperation becoming the main current of China's bilateral relations with neighbours. China has been actively participating and playing positive roles in solving international and regional issues, such as the Middle East issue, the Iraq issue, the Iranian nuclear issue, the nuclear issue of the Korea peninsular, arms reduction, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, anti-terrorism and non-traditional security issues. Since 1990, Chinese military and police forces have participated in 24 UN peace keeping missions.
There is another aspect of significance of China's development to the world. It is through tortuous path of exploration and reform that a unique development model with the socialist political system and market-oriented economic system has taken shape in China, the largest developing country. China's experience proves that the world is diversified and national conditions are different in every country. People of the world have the shared pursuit towards peace, development, democracy and freedom, but ways to realize this goal should fit their different national conditions. There are different political and economic models in the world. The criteria of a development model should be whether it is good for realizing the common goal of the people and whether it is accepted and supported by the people. Any attempt to unify the developing models for the whole world is obviously unscientific and harmful.
To conclude, I want to emphasize that China's development is attributed to arduous efforts of its people, attributed to the development path fit to China's national conditions, attributed to the favorable international environment and the generous assistance and support from friendly countries and peoples. As Chinese diplomats, whenever we talk about China's achievement, our sincere thanks go to the international community. At the same time, I firmly believe that a peacefully developing China will contribute more to world peace and prosperity.
Thank you all.
