Information About China

SOCIAL ECONOMIC DIVISION ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES NATURAL RESOURCES CLIMATE POPULATION, ETHNIC GROUPS POLITICAL SYSTEM ECONOMY How China solves nationwide Water Shortage Problem

On September 27, 1949, the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) approved the proposal for using the red five-star flag as the national flag of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The red color of the flag symbolizes revolution and the yellow color of the stars the golden brilliant rays radiating from the vast red land. The design of four smaller stars surrounding a bigger one signifies the unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China  (CPC).

NATIONAL EMBLEM

On June 18, 1950, the Second Session of the First CPPCC National Committee adopted the design and illustration of the national emblem of the PRC. On September 27 that year, Chairman Mao Zedong ordered the promulgation of the national emblem. Composed of patterns of the national flag, the Tian'anmen Rostrum, a wheel gear and ears of wheat, it symbolizes the New-Democratic Revolution of the Chinese people since the May 4th Movement (1919) and the birth of New China under the people's democratic dictatorship led by the working class on the basis of the worker-peasant alliance

NATIONAL ANTHEM

On September 27, 1949, the First Plenary Session of the CPPCC adopted a resolution approving March of the Volunteers, written by Tian Han and composed by Nie Er, as the temporary national anthem of the PRC before the formal one was formulated. On December 4, 1982, a session of the National People's Congress adopted March of the Volunteers as formal national anthem. The song reflects the revolutionary tradition and the mentality of vigilance in times of peace of the Chinese people.

NATIONAL CAPITAL

On September 27, 1949, the First Plenary Session of the CPPCC unanimously adopted a resolution making Beiping, renamed Beijing as of the day, capital of the PRC.

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China brings three opportunities to the world

13:10, October 20, 2007

Over recent years, there has been international clamor around the China threat. However, when looking at China's development objectively, we cannot deny one basic fact: China's development did not bring any threat to the world; instead, it brought opportunities in at least three aspects:

First: economic opportunities

With the reform and opening up, China has become an engine for the world's economy. According to recent data from the World Bank, from 2003 to 2005, the average contribution rate of China's economic growth to global GDP growth was as high as 13.8% - only second to the United States and second in the world.

Today, China has become the world's third largest trading partner. High-quality and inexpensive Chinese goods have been sent to the rest of the world; and have increased the actual income level of importing countries and promoted consumption.

At the same time, the scale of China's imports has expanded rapidly. From 2003 to 2006, the average growth rate reached 28.3%. China offers a broad market for other countries and has created many employment opportunities.

Voices from the international community have stated that "developed countries have shifted their high-cost production to China; and thereby reduced productions costs. Consumers around the world are then sharing in this benefit."

-"The so-called China threat theory, in such an era of globalization, is entirely false. China has never taken job opportunities from rich developed countries. Its employment growth in the export sector is due to the expansion of transnational corporation subsidiaries in China. China's demand for foreign goods is also supporting employment opportunities in other countries of the world." -"The rise of China is not a threat. On the contrary, many countries and multinational companies benefit from China's development."

-"China is the true driving force for the world's economic development."

Second: cultural opportunities

Today's Chinese people should seek foreign, advanced science and technology and cultural achievements with an open mind. However, we understand that China's growing economic strength has created the conditions for widespread radiation of the Chinese culture. The extensive and profound Chinese civilization may revive at this stage and exert its influence.

An era of developing economic globalization and the daily convergence of people in the international community are not only conducive to China; but also to global cultural diversity, peace, and development. As a culture with a long history and profound foundation, Chinese culture has its own distinct characteristics and elements which are necessary for the harmonious development of mankind; but are not easily found in Western culture. These elements provide ideological inspiration and cultural nourishment to human progress. This is not only the wealth of history, but also of the present and future. This is China's wealth, and will also become the wealth of mankind.

Third: the opportunity for peace

Indeed, the Chinese people have a dream of rejuvenating the nation. However, this rejuvenation is not sought by means of world hegemony, aggression and expansion; but rather with complete freedom from poverty and backwardness, by relying on the Chinese people's diligence and wisdom. This rejuvenation will make China a prosperous, powerful, democratic, civilized and harmonious modern socialist country that will make a greater contribution to peace and human development.

China has made a solemn commitment to the world: taking the road of peaceful development. This will bring a new paradigm to the history of international relations and prove that mankind can set aside brutal wars of aggression; handle contradictions and conflicts among countries by rational and peaceful means; and achieve a win-win situation among countries.

The development and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will certainly safeguard world peace; and promote the multi-polarization and democratization of international relations to serve the interests of the international community.

China's development brings global opportunities. Just like American economist Stephen Roach said, "China is not a threat, but an example that other countries should learn from."

By People's Daily Online

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90002/92169/92188/6287277.html

Chinese president makes proposals on advancing Sino-U.S. relations

UPDATED: 07:20, April 22, 2006

Chinese President Hu Jintao on Thursday put forward a six-point proposal aimed at further promoting the all-round development of the constructive and cooperative relationship between China and the United States.

"Advancing China-U.S. relations serves the fundamental interests of our two countries and peoples and contributes to peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region and the whole world," Hu said in a speech delivered at a dinner here hosted by friendly organizations in the the United States.

First, the two countries should increase understanding, expand common ground and build long-term and stable constructive and cooperative China-U.S. relations.

"China values its relations with the United States, which are high on its foreign policy agenda," the president said, adding that China is committed to long-term peaceful coexistence, mutual benefit and common development with the United States.

The two countries should continue high-level exchanges, maintain and expand consultation at all levels, pursue strategic dialogue, foster strategic mutual trust and promote two-way cooperation.

Second, the two nations should seize opportunities, be creative, consolidate and expand the foundation for bilateral economic cooperation and trade, Hu said.

"Economic cooperation and trade are a pillar sustaining China-U.S. relations," he noted. "We should encourage Chinese and American companies, large, medium-sized and small ones alike, to build strong business ties and explore new opportunities for cooperation in such fields as telecommunication, environmental protection and services, and strengthen strategic consultation on energy and increase energy cooperation."

China and the U.S. should resolve trade disputes through consultation on an equal footing and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation, Hu said.

He said China will continue to honor its WTO accession commitments, expand market access, strengthen Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection and increase imports from the U.S.

China also hopes that the U.S. side will take positive steps to promote the growth of business ties between the two countries, Hu said.

The Chinese president also said the two nations should increase dialogue and cooperation on macroeconomic policy to facilitate the balanced and orderly growth of global economy.

Third, he said, the two countries should adhere to the principles, honor the commitments and properly handle the question of Taiwan in accordance with the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques.

"The question of Taiwan involves China's core interests," the Chinese president stressed, "The principles laid down in the three Joint communiques should be strictly observed. This is crucial for the sound and stable growth of China-U.S. relations."

"China will continue to make every effort and work together with our Taiwan compatriots with every sincerity to ensure the peaceful and stable development of cross-Straits relations and China's peaceful reunification, Hu said.

But "we will never allow the 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces to split Taiwan from China under any name or in any form," he stressed.

Hu appreciated the commitment by President George W. Bush and the U.S. government to adhering to the one China policy and the three Joint Communiques and their opposition to "Taiwan independence."

"It is our hope that the U.S. side will fully honor its commitment... This meets the common strategic interests of China and the United States and will contribute to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and the Asia Pacific region," Hu noted.

Fourth, he said, the two sides should maintain close consultation, take up challenges and strengthen communication and coordination on major international and regional issues.

The Chinese side is ready to deepen anti-terror cooperation with the U.S., work with the U.S. to uphold the international non-proliferation regime, properly address the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic means and negotiations, and continue to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula through the Six Party talks, Hu said.

China is also ready to strengthen consultation and coordination with the United States in environmental protection, public health and disaster relief and reduction, he added.

The Chinese side will continue to work with the U.S. to promote stability and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region, step up discussion and cooperation in the United Nations, APEC, ARF and other regional and multilateral fora in a common effort to promote open and inclusive regional and multilateral cooperation, the Chinese president said.

Fifth, Hu said the two nations should draw on each other's strengths, and strengthen friendly exchanges between the two peoples.

"China and the United States both have cultures that we take pride in and they have both made contribution to the human civilization and progress of mankind," Hu said.

"Therefore, China and the United States should step up cooperation in science and technology, culture and education, increase exchanges between our youths, media and think tanks and expand friendly exchanges between our provinces and cities," the president said.

Sixth, Hu said, the two sides should respect each other, treat each other as equals and view differences in a proper context and manage them properly.

China, in line with its national conditions, will continue to reform its political structure, develop socialist democracy, expand citizens' orderly participation in political affairs and ensure that people exercise democratic election, democratic decision making, democratic management and democratic monitoring in accordance with the law, the president said.

China takes human rights seriously, he stressed. The country respects and upholds human rights and this has been written into China's Constitution.

China will keep advancing human rights in the course of its social development. The Chinese people fully enjoy freedom of religious belief as provided for by law, Hu said.

"Due to different national conditions, it is normal for China and the United States to disagree on some issues," President Hu said. "We should seek common ground while shelving differences, conduct consultation on an equal footing and promote mutual progress through exchanges," he said.

The Chinese president arrived in Washington Wednesday evening from Seattle. The United States is the first leg of Hu's current five-nation tour, which will also take him to Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya.

Source: Xinhua

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200604/22/eng20060422_260247.html

Hu: China seeks peaceful development

UPDATED: 08:09, April 22, 2006

President Hu Jintao offered reassurances on Friday that China seeks a peaceful development to economic prosperity, a theme he has articulated since the first stop of his four-day US trip.

Hu said China commits itself firmly to peaceful development and holds high the banner of peace, development and co-operation.

"China seeks to accelerate its development by upholding world peace and in turn enhance world peace through its development," he said during a speech at the Sprague Hall of Yale University in Connecticut.

Hu was addressing an audience of 600 people, including Yale University top officials, members of the board of trustees, professors and students, as well as representatives from local Chinese businesses.

"China is inclusive and is eager to draw on the strength of other civilizations to pursue peace and development, and play its part in building a harmonious world of peace and prosperity," he said.

His historic trip to the elite university, where US President George W. Bush once studied, came following a summit on Thursday with Bush, which Hu described as "fruitful."

During his one-hour speech, which was broadcast live back in China, Hu elaborated on China's development strategy and its future in a bid to promote a better understanding of China.

Hu stressed that China, despite its fast economic growth over the past two decades, remains the world's largest developing country and still faces daunting challenges in its endeavour to develop.

"It requires sustained and unremitting efforts to transform our country and make life better for our people," he said.

Although China has achieved an economic miracle in the past 28 years, "any number divided by 1.3 billion will become very small," Hu said, noting that China's per capita ranking is still behind 100th place in the world.

"We have encountered many difficulties. We hope to see a peaceful international environment. China's development will not compromise the interest of other countries."

The president said China has adopted a scientific concept of development, focusing on sustainable development by boosting production, improving people's life and protecting the environment.

Turning to China's history, Hu said the decision to pursue peaceful development is deeply rooted in its historical and cultural traditions, which give prominence to unity, mutual assistance and good neighbourliness.

Hu highlighted the importance of closer Sino-US relations.

"The different historical backgrounds and national conditions between China and the United States enable us to learn from each other and draw on each other's strength," he said, winning applause from the audience.

Citing the anti-terrorism fight, environmental protection and combating transnational crimes as examples, Hu said the common interests between the two powers are increasing and the areas of bilateral co-operation are also widening.

Hu said he and President Bush share the view that the two sides should approach bilateral ties from the strategic and long-term perspective.

As long as both sides focus on the overall interest of China-US relations, respect and show understanding to each other, bilateral ties will move ahead in a healthy and steady manner, the president said.

"What impressed me is his very direct answers to very difficult questions," said Steven M. Chapman, group vice-president of Emerging Markets & Businesses for Cummins Inc, after a question-and-answer session following Hu's speech.

William Reilly, head of environment for former US President George Bush, said: "I am impressed (with his speech). He is very open."

Before the speech, Hu met with Yale President Richard C. Levin, who has visited China six times.

At a private reception in Levin's office, Hu presented Yale with a donation of more than 1,300 books from China.

In return, Yale presented a portrait of Yung Wing (1828-1912), the first Chinese student to study in the United States, who graduated from Yale in 1854.

The school, founded in 1701, has more than 80 academic collaborations with Chinese institutions and offers 26 study sites in China.

During the speech, Hu announced that China has decided to invite 100 Yale faculty members and students to visit China this summer.

Today, 300 of Yale's roughly 11,000 students are Chinese, the largest contingent from any foreign country.

There are also more than 300 visiting scholars from China at the university.

Poetic visit

On several occasions during his US visit, President Hu Jintao turned to ancient Chinese poets to express his hope for the sound and steady development of Sino-US relations.

At the White House luncheon with President Bush, Hu quoted the lines of a poem written by Du Fu, a great Chinese poet in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), entitled, "A View From The Top of Mount Tai."

"As I climb up to the summit, it dwarfs all peaks under my feet," Hu said, suggesting China-US ties now stand at a new historical juncture.

At a lunch on Wednesday in Everett, Washington state, Hu quoted another Tang Dynasty poet, Li Bai, to talk about the need to press forward in the Sino-US relationship.

Most descriptive of the turbulent background to the visit was a stanza from Li's work: "Hoisting high the sails, I will brave the winds and waves to cross the vast oceans."

Source: China Daily

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200604/22/eng20060422_260340.html

China vows to further contribute to human rights course

www.chinaview.cn 2006-05-10 17:08:11

BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- China, as a newly-elected member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, pledged Wednesday to fulfill its obligations under the terms of international human rights accords.

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday elected 47 members to the newly-created Human Rights Council through three rounds of secret ballot. China was elected to the council with 146 votes.

"The Chinese government has always been committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and basic freedoms," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao here Wednesday.

The country has been actively involved in the promotion of human rights, he added.

"China supports the foundation of the UN Human Rights Council, and has made positive contribution to this end," Liu acknowledged.

As a member of the council, Liu noted, China will promote human rights within its territory and work with other members of the council.

China supports the council's efforts in handling human rights issues fairly, objectively and impartially, said Liu, adding that China values the political, economic, social and cultural rights of citizens.

The country also pledged to promote dialogue and cooperation between different civilizations, cultures and religions, the spokesman said. Enditem

China pedges to uphold human rights on U.N. council

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-05/10/content_4530878.htm

Sino-US summit has three enlightenments

UPDATED: 17:43, April 24, 2006

Sino-US summit was held in the White House on April 20th. The short submit lasted no longer than half a day, but served as the beautiful climax of President Hu's visit to the United States and quickly became a focal point in the international community. The reason lies in the special importance of the Chinese and American relations to the global strategic pattern as well as the complexity of the current Sino-US relations.

Generally speaking, the overall situation of the current Sino-US relations is relatively stable. American decision-makers' proposal on the so-called "responsible stakeholders" theory , in which it anticipates China to become a responsible participant in the international system, has indicated that the US has started to adjust its thought so as to treat China's rapid growth by a more practical posture and look forward to cooperating with China on the global business.

Usually, the bilateral frictions will increase when two countries approach to each other more closely. This is the fundamental reason why China and America reported more problems in many areas such as economics and trade, human rights, security, and regional mutual trust. If one exaggerates these frictions, he would easily become pessimistic about Sino-US relations. But if he puts these questions into a broad scenario in which Sino-US relations gradually move towards a thorough and mature level, he would find out that these problems are simply natural phenomena that occur during a screw-type rising process of the development of Sino-US relations. Comparing with the overall stable framework of the Sino-US relations, these problems are the secondary contradictions.

If observing the summit from this perspective, three enlightenments can be found.

First of all, both countries' leaders gave priority to constructive and cooperative relationship, emphasized cooperation and common interest, and diligently obtained a long-term and stable framework of Sino-US relations. President Hu stressed that both China and the US should take a broad and long-term view. President Bush claimed that he is willing to see China rising as a peaceful and prosperous country. On the core issue of Sino-US relations, the Taiwan issue, President Bush reiterated that the US persists on one China policy and does not support "Taiwan independence". Both sides emphasized on the importance of cooperation on the nuclear issues in North Korea and Iran. In fact, the vital significance of the summit just lies in the re-establishment of the framework of a long-term constructive, cooperative and strategic relations between the two countries.????

Secondly, the leaders of the two countries honestly exchanged their views with each other and looked out upon the differences in between, which manifested a realistic spirit and created a new diplomatic pattern between the Chinese and American leaders. Chinese government, on the one hand, diligently made up the trade deficit between the US and China, on the other hand, promised that China does not seek large quantity of trade surplus. President Hu explained the detailed procedure about how to promote domestic demand and transform economic growth mode during his visit. In terms of intellectual property rights issues, both sides voiced their stance and attitudes. Just like President Bush said after the summit, "what I said to President Hu are all from the bottom of my heart." After five meetings through last year, President Hu and President Bush not only established good personal relationship, but also become more and more familiar with the way of exchanges in which both sides are very frank and sincere. This is an important symbol that demonstrates Sino-US relations have become more and more mature.

Thirdly, both President Hu and President Bush have been actively exploring a possible way to further develop Sino-US relations in the future. The long-term development of the bilateral relations requires more than economic and trade exchanges and security cooperation. New channels for wide-ranging exchanges should be established. Hu chose an "economic and trade visit" in Seattle as the kickoff of his state visit, then a "political visit" in Washington D.C. as the star turn, finally a "cultural visit" at Yale University as the epilogue. This actually reflects the basic mentality of the Chinese government in developing the future Sino-US relations. That is: an emphasis on both economic foundation and strategic relations, and a focus on both cultural exchanges and social communications. Meanwhile, the two sides also achieved widespread common consensus on issues such as energy cooperation and non- traditional security cooperation.

By People's Daily Online; The author Yuan Peng is deputy director of US Studies Institute of China Institutes for Contemporary International Relations

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200604/24/eng20060424_260750.html

China issues white paper on peaceful development

www.chinaview.cn 2005-12-22 10:31:33

BEIJING, Dec. 22 (Xinhuanet) --China on Thursday issued a white paper on its peaceful development, stating that it is the inevitable way for the country to achieve modernization.

The 32-page white paper, titled "China's Peaceful Development Road" and published by the Information Office of China's State Council, fully explains the inevitability for the country to pursue peaceful development.

It also outlines the major policies China has taken to achieve the goal and demonstrates the country's resolve to stick to the road of peaceful development now and in the future.

"China's road of peaceful development is a brand-new one for mankind in pursuit of civilization and progress, the inevitable way for China to achieve modernization, and a serious choice and solemn promise made by the Chinese government and the Chinese people," said the white paper.

It is an inevitable choice based on its national conditions, its historical and cultural tradition and the present world development trend that China persists unswervingly in taking the road of peaceful development, said the paper.

"The road of peaceful development accords with the fundamental interests of the Chinese people," it said.

The white paper recalled that since the policies of reform and opening up were introduced at the end of the 1970s, China has successfully embarked on a road of peaceful development compatible with its national conditions and characteristics of the times.

Along this road, the Chinese people are working hard to build China into a prosperous, powerful, democratic, civilized and harmonious modern country, and continually making new contributions to human progress with China's own development.

China's development needs a peaceful international environment, noted the paper, pointing to the fact that for years, the Chinese government and people have made unremitting efforts to create a peaceful international environment.

"They cherish dearly the peaceful international environment jointly created by the peace-loving and progress-seeking countries and peoples," said the white paper.

The paper also listed many figures to illustrate the substantial achievements made by the country in seeking a peaceful international environment, saying that China's development has made positive contributions to world peace and development.

The country's per capita GDP rose from less than 300 U.S. dollars in 1978 to more than 1,400 dollars in 2004. It has created a miracle by feeding nearly 22 percent of the world's population on less than 10 percent of the world's arable land.

The Chinese government has lifted 220 million people out of poverty, and has provided minimum living allowances to 22.05 million urban residents and aid to 60 million disabled people, according to the paper.

"China cannot develop independently without the rest of the world. Likewise, the world needs China if it is to attain prosperity," said the white paper.

In recent years, despite increasingly severe global economic fluctuations, China's economy has maintained a stable and relatively fast growth, bringing hope and a new driving force to world economic development.

Statistics released by the World Bank show that China's economic growth contributed an average 13 percent to world economic growth from 2000 to 2004.

China imported 500 billion U.S. dollars worth of commodities annually during the period from December 2001 to September 2005, which meant 10 million jobs for the countries and regions concerned, according to the white paper.

In the next few years, it will import 600 billion dollars worth of goods annually, and the amount will exceed 1 trillion dollars by 2010.

"Over the years, China has persisted in the policies of peace, development and cooperation, and pursued an independent foreign policy of peace," said the paper. "China has been playing a constructive role in, and making efforts to attain the lofty goal of, building a harmonious world together with all other countries."

According to the white paper, China has joined more than 130 inter-governmental international organizations, is committed to 267 international multilateral treaties and actively participates in international cooperation in such fields as anti-terrorism, arms control, non-proliferation, peacekeeping, economy and trade, development, human rights, law enforcement, and environmental protection.

Thanks to the joint efforts with various countries, China has, so far, signed boundary treaties with 12 continental neighbors, settling boundary issues left over from history.

China has also provided assistance to more than 110 countries and regional organizations for over 2,000 projects so far. China has reduced or canceled 198 debts totaling 16.6 billion RMB yuan owed to it by 44 developing countries.

The white paper said the Chinese government and people are well aware that China is still a developing country facing a lot of difficulties and problems on its road of development.

"Past experience indicates that fundamentally China must rely on itself to solve the problems in its development," said the white paper. "China will not shift its own problems and contradictions onto other countries, much less will it plunder other countries to further its own development."

It said that the road of peaceful development accords with the fundamental interests of the Chinese people; it also conforms to the objective requirements of social development and progress of mankind.

"China is now taking the road of peaceful development, and will continue to do so when it gets stronger in the future," said the white paper. Enditem

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-12/22/content_3955128.htm

China to keep to road of peaceful development: Hu
UPDATED: 09:50, September 16, 2005

 
Chinese President Hu Jintao delivers an important speech on the United Nations summit in New York on Sept. 15, 2005.

China will unswervingly keep to the path of peaceful development, Chinese President Hu Jintao reiterated in the United Nations Thursday at the United Nations summit marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the world body.

China will continue to hold high the banner of peace, development and cooperation, and firmly pursue the independent foreign policy of peace, the Chinese president said.

China will continue to dedicate itself to developing friendly relations and cooperation with all countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, he said.

"Always integrating our development with the common progress of mankind, we take full advantage of the opportunities brought by world peace and development to pursue our own development while going for better promotion of world peace and common development through our successful development."

"China will, as always, abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, actively participate in international affairs and fulfill its international obligations, and work with other countries to build a new international political and economic order that is fair and rational," Hu said.

The Chinese nation loves peace, and China's development will not hurt or threaten anyone, but serve peace, stability and common prosperity in the world, the president noted.

Also at the meeting, the Chinese president put forward a four-point proposal for building a harmonious world with lasting peace and common prosperity:

-- A new security concept featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation must be cultivated.

-- The United Nations should take concrete measures to implement the Millennium Goals, particularly in the area of accelerating the development of developing countries.

-- Every country has the right to independently choose its own social system and path of development.

-- Rational and necessary reforms should be carried out to maintain the authority of the United Nations and improve its efficacy and capacity to take on new threats and new challenges.

Source: Xinhua

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200509/16/eng20050916_208855.html
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Bush appreciates China's assistance to US hurrican-hit areas
UPDATED: 08:31, September 16, 20

US President George W. Bush expressed his appreciation for China's assistance to the hurricane-hit areas in a recent meeting with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao in New York, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Thursday.

Qin told a regular press conference that the Chinese government and people showed deep sympathy and condolences to the US government and people over the human and property losses in the southern states hit by Hurricane Katrina. China offered assistance to the best of its ability.

"US government officials spoke highly of China's help on different occasions," said Qin, adding that he hoped the Chinese assistance will help the people in the disaster-stricken states to rebuild their homeland.

The US states of Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were hit by Hurricane Katrina, the strongest since 1969, in late August, causing heavy human and property losses. The overall death toll from the hurricane rose to 708 by Wednesday, with estimated losses over 100 billion US dollars.

Source: Xinhua
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200509/16/eng20050916_208797.html

Sino-US cooperation, exchange and coordination

UPDATED: 16:55, May 11, 2006

China and the United States have different historical conditions and social systems, and thus have different values rooted in different civilizations. These two different civilizations can and must seek common ground and communication, and the two countries should not make the differences become the basis for the Cold War mentality. Peoples of the two sides have shown mutual respect and mutual learning spirit in the exchanges, which has proven this point. The practical-minded spirit and the respect for innovation are important conditions for mutual communication.

China's peaceful development has attracted great attention and has won certain recognition of the US strategic community and decision-makers. Many facts have demonstrated that Sino-US relation is becoming more and more mature.

US President Bush once stressed that he was looking forward to a candid, constructive, and cooperative US-China relationship, which is called "3C" relationship. I express my appreciation. However, some recent US policies toward China remind me of another "3C": complex, contradictory, and confusion. For example, on the one hand, the United States recognized China's commitment and experience on the peaceful development, but on the other hand, it still has fundamental skepticism on whether China would be able to stick to this path.

To this end, I would like to bring up another "4C", in which I anticipate that China and the United States can work together in the light of the spirit of communication, complementary, coordination, and cooperation and shape the future bilateral relations in terms of five aspects.

The first is regarding the strategic issues. Both countries should strengthen exchanges and communications so as to enhance mutual trust, dispel doubts, and, reduce misjudgment. Mr. Dai Bingguo and Mr. Robert. B. Zoellick initiated the Sino-US strategic dialogue which is a very good platform for mutual exchange. The more such communication opportunities, the better. As the world's only superpower and a emerging country that plays an increasingly important role on the international arena, the United States and China should constantly communicate with each other on strategic issues.

Second, concerning the economic, trade and energy issues, both countries should further tap the complementary advantages and learn from each other instead of malicious counteracting each other. If the two sides do want to overcome the economic and trade frictions, both sides must firstly adhere to the non-politicization principle of economic issues, respect the conditions and stages of development of each other, and, work together with each other rather than making unilateral efforts. Energy cooperation is vital to the sustainable development of the two countries in the 21st century. The advanced energy technology of the United States is complementary to China's huge energy demand. The development of the US national energy policy can be a good experience for China to learn from to developing more scientific and rational energy strategies.

Third, concerning the regional issues, China and the United States should strengthen coordination, avoid conflict, and, target on a win-win goal. Some American people believe that China is planning a so-called "Asian version of Monroe Doctrine," in which China meditates edging the United States out of the "Asia-Pacific" region. If such suspicions are allowed to spread, the only result could be a "security dilemma" for the United States in which it would be unable to pull itself out thus end up with nothing. The best way to resolve such suspicions is to conduct coordination through prior notice, afterwards summary, and frequent communication. If China and the Untied States can achieve a long-term peaceful coexistence in the Asia-Pacific region, it could be a blessing for the whole region.

Fourth, both countries should further the cooperation in non-traditional security field so as to expand the strategic foundation of the Sino-US relations. Sino-US cooperation in this field is the most successful cooperation, reporting the least obstacles. Non-traditional security cooperation not only helps alleviate the mistrust between the two countries in the traditional security field, but also provides the two with useful experience in other fields and promotes the establishment of a broader platform.

Fifth, in a deeper sense, China and the United States should broaden their visions and seek common ground while reserving differences in order to promote the communication between the two different civilizations.

In short, basing on the political cooperation, security cooperation, and economic and trade cooperation in the past, China and the United States should be able to get beyond the Cold War mentality, expand strategic cooperation, energy cooperation, regional cooperation, non-traditional security cooperation and communication between the two civilizations, and, create a broader and brighter space for the future development of the Sino-US relations.

The author Zheng Bijian is director-general of the Forum on China's Reform and Opening-up.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200605/11/eng20060511_264781.html

China will never seek hegemony: Premier Wen

www.chinaview.cn 2004-06-28 16:12:22

BEIJING, June 28 (Xinhuanet) -- China will never threaten any one, pursue expansion or seek hegemony, said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao here Monday.

Wen made the remarks when addressing a conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

He said that China will always put development on the top of its government's agenda. A successful running of China is in itself a major contribution to peace and development of humanity.

He added that China will continue to pursue an independent foreign policy of peace, and dedicate itself to developing friendly relations and cooperation with all countries.

China will firmly safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, tolerating no one to interfere in its internal affairs. At the same time, the country will respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of others, he noted.

China will open still wider to the outside world on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, while engaging in economic and technical cooperation with other countries with greater scope and depth, he said.

China will continue to improve and develop its relations with the developed countries, expand the areas of common interests and properly handle the differences with them, he noted.

Wen said that China will build good-neighborly relationships and partnerships and work still harder in implementing the policy of creating an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood.

China will continue to strengthen the solidarity and cooperation with the vast number of developing countries, and actively explore ways for effective South-South cooperation under the new circumstances, he said.

China will vigorously participate in multilateral diplomacy and play a constructive part at the United Nations and other international and regional organizations, he said.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence are mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence. Enditem

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-06/28/content_1551712.htm

How to face the internationalized Sino-US relations

UPDATED: 11:54, February 11, 2006

Sense of responsibility, maturity and spirit of partnership are the right attitudes to face the current internationalized Sino-US relations. It needs decision-makers to have great vision and resolution.

China and the US have differences on the current international system, but it is a matter of depth. The two countries are also facing important opportunities to expand and deepen bilateral cooperation.

Over the past 30 years, Sino-US relations have experienced two important turning points. One was in 1972 when former US President Richard Nixon visited China and ended the 20 years of hostile relations between the two countries and began the US, former Soviet Union and China triangular relations. The other was after the cold war and Sino-US relations have gradually developed in bilateral and regional perspective.

2005 marks an important year for Sino-US relations. The US foreign policy decision-makers started to consider US-China relations from an international perspective. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she hoped China to become a positive force in international politics and a global partner. And deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick proposed China be a 'responsible stakeholder' and maintain the current international system together with the US.

The two high-level talks between the two countries in the latter half of last year discussed how to cooperate in a series of international issues. During the second round of talks, in particular, Zoellick invited Chinese delegates to visit the former residence of late US President Franklin Roosevelt who was also one of the important founders of the current international system. This also shows the US' new expectations on US-China relations.

It's the US' new thinking on its China policy to put the US-China relations in the international system. This is due to two important factors. One is the knowledge of China's fast development. Over the past two years, the US government and the public have looked at China's development with new eyes. On the other hand, they also felt China's capability of influencing the US interest. The US is seeking new ways to face the situation. Hard-liners want to balance or contain China while others want to give good-will directions and use China's increasing influence to promote China's cooperation in all the important issues that the US concerns and expand US-China relations in the international arena.

Two, the Bush administration has realized the limitations of the US. From Iraq war to North Korean nuclear issue, experiences show that the US is very powerful, but not necessarily capable in everything. The US is unable to deal with challenges alone and can't solve problems solely according to its own will. The US has to seek coordination and cooperation with other powers and the international community.

The two countries have differences on the current international system

It's an undisputable fact that the Sino-US relations have gone beyond bilateral ties to the regional and international arena. But the two countries have differences on the current international systems including political, economic and security systems.

On the international political system, both China and the US recognize the framework of the United Nations. But they have important ideological and policy disputes. China advocates democracy in international relations. That is all countries are equal no matter they are big or small, rich or poor, strong or weak. When dealing with conflicts and contradictions between nations, the United Nations should play an important role. But the United States has taken a pragmatic attitude, putting the United Nations aside for its own interest and often boasting to be the leader of the international community. As US President George W. Bush said in his State of the Union address, 'the only way to protect our people, the only way to secure peace and the only way to control our destiny is by our leadership, so the United States of America will continue to lead.' This attitude and the abuse of pragmatism have substantially decreased the will of many powers including China to cooperate with America.

On the international security system, there are also many obstacles for China and the US to cooperate. The UN and other related international security mechanism constitute the current international security system. Both China and the US agree that they have played an important role in maintaining world peace and security. However, due to lack of a reserved armed forces and relevant intervention mechanism, the UN has its limitations in exerting its role in maintaining world peace and security, let alone restricting the US and its vast allies as well as its powerful military forces formed by military machines. In addition, the US' pragmatic attitude and double standards on the international security mechanism have made the effectiveness of these mechanisms fall short of their requirements.

Due to the vulnerable and incomplete current international security system, China and the US are cooperating mainly in issues such as bird flu, transnational crime and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. But the US will not allow China to influence its global military security system. The US has always tried to figure out China's military strength in the international perspective. For example, the newly issued 'Four-year National Defense Appraisal Report' has shown that Pentagon has treated China as its potential military rival. Behind this appraisal is the obsession of the US unilateral military advantage and its absolute security and its impulse of leading the international security. As for China, if its just resort to security couldn't be understood or respected, then what's the motivation for China to cooperate with the US in international security?

Comparatively speaking, China and the US have great potential for cooperation under the current international security system. But it doesn't mean that there is no contradictions or problems between the two sides. Although China has become a member of the WTO, its comparative advantages have constantly been boycotted by the US and other developed countries with their protectionism tendency. As a developing country, China's status has decided that it will make rules that are conducive to the developing countries. Since China is not yet a member of G8 which are the major rule-makers for the current WTO, it doesn't have an obligation to obey the rules conducive to the developed countries. On the other hand, due to the short supply of energy in the world and China's expanded demand of energy from the outside world, the US has politicized the issue. This will not be conducive to Sino-US cooperation in this field.

Thus to put the international perspective as a support for bilateral relations is the main tendency for the future, but there are also a lot of challenges ahead. The key is whether China and the US can coordinate with and adapt to each other in order to build a new international political and economic order and lay a solid foundation to form a long-term and more reasonable international system.

Three attitudes towards the new change

To achieve the above goal, China and the US need to have the sense of responsibilities. For China, it should look at issues from an international perspective and understand the concerns and demands of the international community and willing to provide public goods for the international community so that its contribution goes along with its increasing comprehensive strength. For America, it needs to restrain its unilateral impulse and correctly use its super power and willingly obey the multilateral will on important international issues.

Secondly, the US side should look at China's increasing influence with a mature attitude. The increase of China's influence in the world is conducive to building a harmonious world. But the US shouldn't think China will always play a supporting role in international affairs. China will not just seek cooperation with the US without any principle in the international affairs, but act according to its own diplomatic principle and sense of value. China and the US are mutually complementary in international affairs, but they are also competing with each other, sometimes, the competition is quite fierce.

To achieve effective cooperation, the US should contact China with the spirit of partnership. It means that the US should consult with China on an equal footing on international affairs, and not be arrogant and impose its ideas on others. Since the US expects China to shoulder more responsibilities and obligations, it should respect China's say in the international affairs, too.

Although the Sino-US relations are more and more internationalized, it still needs mutual support to develop such a relationship and the depth of bilateral cooperation is decided by such relationship. Since the US hopes China to play a partnership role, it should treat China with a spirit of partnership and not challenge China on its core national interest.

The Sino-US relations are facing important opportunities in expanding and deepening international cooperation, promoting world peace and prosperity. If the triangular relations between former Soviet Union, the US and China were in accordance with the international situation then, now the internationalized Sino-US relations reflect the characteristics of globalization and the fact that China's comprehensive strength is indeed increasing. Facing such a reality, decision-makers from both sides need to have a great vision and resolution.

Wu Xinbo, the author of this article published on Global Times is the deputy principal of the International Relations and Public Affairs College of Fudan University in Shanghai.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200602/11/eng20060211_241858.html

Interview: U.S. scholar says China's military spending modest

UPDATED: 17:15, February 10, 2006

A U.S. scholar said Thursday that China's military spending is rather modest and that a Pentagon report that faults Chinese defense spending is aimed at justifying its own inflating expenditures.

"I do not see how China's military spending is terribly threatening the vast military capabilities of the United States," Ted Galen Carpenter, vice president for defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, said in an interview with Xinhua.

Carpenter, who is vice president for defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, made the remarks when asked about the Quadrennial Defense Review Report (QDR) released by the Pentagon last Friday.

He said China's defense budget, with an official figure of some 30 billion dollars, is only a small amount in comparison to U.S. military spending which is going to be about 440 billion dollars next year, excluding the costs of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said.

"China's military spending is rather modest. It is not alarming," Carpenter said.

As for his view on the statement in the QDR's China section that "the pace and scope of China's military build-up already puts regional military balances at risk," Carpenter said: "I think that is where the Chinese government can take issue with the QDR... We do not see a massive military build-up that will raise questions about Beijing's motives."

Carpenter believed the main purpose of the QDR was to justify the Pentagon's inflating military spending and "the section on China is just a means to that end."

If the Pentagon said the global situation did not look very threatening, the United States had no obvious enemies other than terrorists or low-tech threats, Congress would significantly reduce the defense budget, Carpenter said.

"So the Pentagon currently has every incentive to portray the global threat environment in the most alarming terms," he said.

However, Carpenter said the Pentagon report would not dominate U.S. foreign policy toward China because the Bush administration regards the relationship with China as "a critically important one."

Neither the White House nor officials at the State Department talk much about the so-called "China threat" because "that creates animosity in the relationship between Beijing and Washington and that is not something the White House or the State Department wants," Carpenter said.

Source: Xinhua

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200602/10/eng20060210_241634.html

China issues white paper on political democracy

UPDATED: 14:46, October 19, 2005

The Information Office of China's State Council issued Wednesday a white paper on China's political democracy, vowing to actively push forward the reforms of its political system although, it said, tremendous achievements had been scored in this regard.

The white paper, issued by the Information Office of China's State Council, or the cabinet, is the first of its kind in China, giving a detailed account of the inception, development and contents of the socialist political democracy and the principles the country will abide by.

The document, titled Building of Political Democracy in China, also points out that the problems the country has to overcome and major steps to be taken in the reforms of its political system.

The socialist political democracy "is the apt choice suited to China's conditions and meeting the requirement of social progress," said the white paper.

Such democracy has enabled the Chinese people, who account for one fifth of the world's population, "to become masters of their own country and society, and enjoy extensive democratic rights, " the white paper says.

In building socialist political democracy, China has always adhered to the basic principle that the Marxist theory of democracy be combined with the reality of China, it says.

In the process, China has also borrowed from the useful achievements of the political civilization of mankind, including Western democracy, and assimilated the democratic elements of from China's traditional culture and institutional

civilization.

"Therefore, China's socialist political democracy shows distinctive Chinese characteristics," says the white paper.

Such characteristics are as follows:

-- China's democracy is a people's democracy under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

-- China's democracy is a democracy in which the overwhelming majority of the people act as masters of State affairs.

-- China's democracy is a democracy guaranteed by the people's democratic dictatorship.

-- China's democracy is a democracy with democratic centralism as the basic organizational principle and mode of operation.

The white paper says the CPC's leading status was established gradually in the protracted struggle and practice of the Chinese people in pursuing national independence, prosperity and a happy life.

"It was a choice made by history and by the people," the document notes.

Over the past 20 years and more, great progress has been made in China's practice in building a socialist democratic political system, the white paper says, providing a list of the achievements.

It points to the fact that the system of the people's congresses, the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, and the system of regional autonomy for ethnic minorities -- all important

components of China's democratic system -- have been continuously improved and developed.

The democratic rights of people at the grassroots level in urban and rural areas have been constantly increased, and the citizens' basic rights are respected and guaranteed.

The CPC's capability to rule the country in a democratic manner has been enhanced further, while the government's capability to administer the country in a democratic manner has been strengthened noticeably.

"Major aspects of China's politics, economics, culture and social life are now within the purview of the rule of law," says the white paper.

"Despite the tremendous achievements scored in building a socialist political democracy, the CPC and the Chinese people are clearly aware of the many problems yet to be overcome," the document notes.

The major ones include: the democratic system is not yet perfect; the people's right to manage state and social affairs, economic and cultural undertakings as masters of the country in a socialist market economy are not yet fully realized; laws that have already been enacted are sometimes not fully observed or enforced, and violations of the law sometimes go unpunished.

The white paper also admits that "bureaucracy and corruption still exist and spread in some departments and localities."

It also points out that the mechanism of restraint and supervision over the use of power needs further improvement and the concept of democracy and legal awareness of the whole of Chinese society needs to be further enhanced.

"There is still a long way to go in China's building of political democracy, which will be a historical process of continuous improvement and development," says the white paper.

According to the document, at present, and for a period in the days to come, the CPC and the Chinese government "will actively and steadily push forward the reform of the political system."

They will also stick to and improve the socialist democratic system, strengthen and improve the socialist legal system, reform and improve the methods of leadership and rule of the CPC, reform and improve the government's decision-making mechanism.

The white paper also stresses the importance of the reform of the system of administrative management, the reform of the judicial system, the reform of the cadre and personnel system, and the restraint and supervision over the power.

According to the white paper, China's building of political democracy will abide by the following principles:

-- Upholding the unity of the leadership of the CPC, the people being the masters of the country and ruling the country by law.

-- Giving play to the characteristics and advantages of the socialist system.

-- Being conducive to social stability, economic development and continuous improvement of the people's life.

-- Facilitating the safeguarding of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and state dignity.

-- Being in accord with the objective law of progress step by step and in an orderly way.

The white paper consists of 12 parts, including the people's congress system, the system of ethnic regional autonomy, grassroots democracy in urban and rural areas, and respecting and safeguarding human rights.

Source: Xinhua

http://english.people.com.cn/200510/19/eng20051019_215254.html

UPDATED: 15:00, October 27, 2005

Sensitive public opinion at home and abroad has noticed that the just concluded Fifth Plenum of the 16th CPC (Communist Party of China)Central Committee has taken serious action to firmly deal with the realities of the loss of social justice and the continued widening of the wealth gap.

Social justice has always been the ideal of humankind. The gap between urban and rural areas, between regions and between the poor and the rich -- these "three yawning gulfs", seen as tough as bulls during the "cultural revolution" (1966-1976) were declared to be swept away, but the result was that urban and rural areas, workers and farmers and eastern and western regions were plunged into collective poverty. People with different natural endowment and regions with varying resources were required to "march" at the same speed, which is not equity in its real sense.

Reform has led to the overturn of superficial fairness, some people have become wealthy first. The widening three big gaps are hardly avoidable problems in the reform drive. At present, the gap between the richest and the poorest Chinese provinces is over 10-fold in terms of per-capita GDP, but this does not mean that the development of the western region is in a state of stagnation or retrogression. As a matter of fact, the western region is also accelerating its development.

A careful examination of the "three yawning gulfs" reveals the existence of dramatic irrationality.

For instance, the "three rural" (agriculture, rural area and farmer) problems result from dual unfairness of the past and present. The "price scissors" policy introduced for industrial and agricultural products in the early period after the founding of New China in 1949 aimed to win an accelerated industrialization at the expense of the partial interests of agriculture and farmers. After the start of the reform and opening up program in late 1978, the rural areas provided cities with huge amounts of cheap labor, cheap lands and cheap agricultural products, thus speeding up the drive for urbanization, agriculture and farmers again made sacrifices for this. The existence of the urban-rural dualistic structure made it impossible for farmers to receive equal pay for equal work and to enjoy same educational resources and a relatively sound social security system.

Let me take up the question of regional difference.

Shortly after the initiation of the reform and opening up program, eastern regions enjoyed preferential policies including capital construction investment and taxation, they thus accelerated the speed of development. China's western regions that contributed huge amounts of resources to eastern regions found it hard to catch up for the time being due to the multiple limitations of region, communications and economic base.

Besides, there is inequality in development opportunity.

Take college entrance examination for example. The examinees get the same marks, due to regional difference, however, some children can be admitted into brand universities, while some other children find their names are not on the published list.

This is the extremely complicated reality of China, positive and negative factors are mixed and intertwined, therefore it is difficult to unravel them or straighten them out.

Deng Xiaoping once pointed out with strategic foresight: The problem of the poor-rich gap and unfair distribution "shall be particularly brought up and resolved at the end of this century when China will have reached a moderately prosperous level". The "stratum, which got rich first" and once served as the engine of reform, have tasted the fruit of reform and openness earlier than others. Now it is time to establish a system requiring this portion of people and regions to feed the "late wealth-winning" strata and regions.

China has all along been making efforts in these aspects: Abolishing agricultural tax in a large scale, instituting tuition-free compulsory education among poverty-stricken population, intensifying efforts for the transfer of payment, and adjusting the cutoff point pf personal income tax. More strenuous efforts will likely be made in the days to come. New reforms will affect the vested interests of certain social strata and certain regions, which means the redistribution of social wealth. Some prices must be paid for lasting peace and stability and for real harmony of society.

The article is carried on the front page of People's Daily Overseas Edition, Oct. 27 and translated by People's Daily Online

http://english.people.com.cn/200510/27/eng20051027_217265.html

Unswervingly following the road of peaceful development

September 3 is the day of victory in the Chinese people's anti-Japanese war and the world anti-fascist war. We should keep history firmly in mind, not forget the past, cherish peace and usher in the future. Chinese leaders once again declare that China is to unswervingly follow the road of peaceful development and, together with the people of various countries around the world, jointly promote the lofty cause of human peace and development. This is a solemn promise made to the world's people.

At present, the world wants peace, the people want cooperation, countries want development, and society wants progress, which are converging into a strong current. China unswervingly following the road of peaceful development is precisely in compliance with the demand of the times.

China is an active initiator as well as a faithful practitioner of the lofty cause of peace, development and cooperation. Shortly after the founding of New China in 1949, the Chinese government creatively set forth the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and set up the base for its independent foreign policy of peace.

As the largest developing country, China has taken newer and greater steps on the road of peaceful development by carrying out reform internally and opening up to the outside world externally over the past 20 years and more. It has not only achieved the sustained, sound and rapid development of its own economy, but has also brought new development opportunities for its neighbors, Asia and even the entire international community.

China adheres to the principle guiding its relations with its neighbors: to become a good neighbor and a good partner as well as building build an amicable, tranquil and prosperous neighborhood. China is actively carrying out multilateral diplomacy and international cooperation. China has joined almost all major international organizations and is playing a vital role in arms control, trade and investment, anti-terrorism and other multilateral international mechanisms.

As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China actively participates in the UN affairs, safeguards the authority of the UN, especially of the Security Council, defends the basic principles of the "UN Charter" and promotes the reform of the UN to develop in the direction of giving maximum consideration to the rational demands and concerns of developing counties.

China has increasingly merged itself in the world economic system after its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). With a population of 1.3 billion, China has provided and will continue to provide strong impetus to the development of the world economy. In 2004 the total volume of China's import and export reached US$1,154.8 billion, making it an important engine in world economic growth. By 2020, the scale and gross demand of the Chinese market will be doubled compared with the year 2000, all countries in the world will gain new development opportunities in this process.

The road of peaceful development chosen by China is a path for one to develop oneself in the defense of world peace, and to promote world peace through one's own development.

Since the introduction of the reform and opening up policy, China has maintained rapid, long-term economic growth and has experienced swift enhancement in its overall national strength. This has aroused the uneasiness of a small number of people in certain countries, some ill-intentioned people even seize the opportunity to spread the "China threat theory".

Historically, the rise of a big country usually would lead to a drastic change in the international pattern and world order, and would even trigger war. However, history has proved long before that whether or not a country would constitute a threat to world peace depends not on whether its national strength is powerful, but rather on what internal and external policies it pursues.

What China has chosen is a new industrialized road targeted at peaceful development. The word "new" is centralized on the word "peace": We are carrying out peaceful development externally, not to plunder other countries of their resources through expansion by force; and internally we are engaged in harmonious development, not to practice predatory business by risking the consumption of resources.

While meeting with a foreign guest in 1985, Deng Xiaoping said, "China is now a force maintaining world peace and stability, not a destructive force. The stronger China is developed, the more reliable is world peace", "When China has developed, the peace force restricting war will be greatly enhanced". China does not seek hegemony at present, and will not seek hegemony when it is developed in the future. This is the sincere and solemn promise made by the Chinese people.

Seeking development amidst peace is a matter of paramount importance in today's world. China has resolutely embarked on the road of peaceful development and has scored remarkable achievements. We are also clearly aware that the basic national condition of being a large country with a poor foundation to start with has not been fundamentally reversed; compared with advanced countries in the world, China still lags far behind. Given this situation, realizing our magnificent goal requires not only a long-term peaceful international environment, but also the development of friendly cooperation with various countries around the world. The opening world has provided China with space for development, China's development can't be achieved without the world.

In unswervingly following the road of peaceful development, we must continue to actively carry out international cooperation, participate in international competition on an equal footing and expedite a continual rise in the level of opening to the outside world and enhancement in our overall national strength and competitiveness.

In unswervingly taking the road of peaceful development, we must continue to persist in the independent foreign policy of peace, and create a peaceful international environment featuring long-term stability, security and reliability for China's modernization drive.

In unswervingly following the road of peaceful development, we must respect the diversified civilizations of various countries, encourage various civilizations to learn from each other's strong points to offset one's own weakness in the course of dialogs and exchanges, we must advocate mutual tolerance among various civilizations and common development in the course of seeking common ground while reserving differences.

History is like a mirror reflecting the reality as well as a most philosophic textbook. Through constant review and profound thinking of the history of the Chinese people's anti-Japanese war and the world anti-fascist war, people of various countries around the world will definitely deepen their scientific knowledge about the natural law governing the development of human society and on this basis further enhance their self-consciousness in safeguarding peace and jointly seeking development, cooperation and a win-win situation.

China today has embarked on the road of peaceful development. No matter how the international situation may change, the Chinese people will continue to hold high the banner of peace, cooperation and development, unswervingly follow the road of peaceful development and, together with the people of various countries around the world, jointly promote the lofty cause of peace and development of humankind.

By People's Daily Online
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200509/02/eng20050902_206104.html

 China's growth benefits world: British experts
www.chinaview.cn 2005-09-02 11:21:25

LONDON, Sept. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- The world benefits from the growth of China, and receives no threat from it, some experts in London commented on Thursday.

    China's exports to the world have contributed to global economic growth and stability, Hussain Athar, deputy director of the Development Studies Institute at the London School of Economics and Politics (LSE), said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

    With its size as a producer and consumer and considering its high speed of growth, "China is understandably seen as a huge elephant entering the room of the world economy, you've got to readjust to make accommodation for it," Athar said.

    But the readjustment requires effort on all sides -- from China as well as other parts of the world, he added.

    Athar dismissed the "threat" rhetoric, saying that if any one says China is a threat to the world, the problem lies with them, not China.

    He pointed to the fact that China successfully feeds over 20 percent of the world population, and also provides so many quality products to other parts of the world, saying that China's development contributes to world peace and stability.

    China is also an accountable country. Many years ago, former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping promised that his country would concentrate on its domestic economic development. Over the 20-plus years since China opened up to the outside world, the growth of its economy bears witness to the fact that China really meant it, according to the LSE expert.

    Athar is critical of those imposing bans on China's textiles, as is currently being done by the United States and the European Union. These actions run against the spirit of liberty and free trade, the expert said.

    While Chinese clothes are being banned and stockpiled in ships off the coast, consumers in Britain and other EU countries are complaining that as a consequence, they will have to pay much more for their autumn and winter garments, he said.

    Displeasure over this issue was shown in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, one of the most influential in Britain, which said Wednesday that the behavior of the EU in its textile dispute with Beijing has been both "short-sighted and muddy."

    The fact that Peter Mandelson, the EU Trade Commissioner, failed to dissuade the "protectionist lobby" in France, Italy, Spain and Eastern Europe from seeking a deal on Chinese clothing, will simply push European retailers to switch to other suppliers such as India or Turkey, said the newspaper.

    The article argued that it would be better to allow the Chinese their competitive advantage at the lower end of the manufacturing spectrum, which frees Britain and other European countries to concentrate on service, niche products and technologies that will be the engine of their own economies in the future.

    Another LSE expert argues that one should never set a framework or limits on the world's economic development structure.

    Christopher R. Hughes, from LSE's International Relations department, said Thursday that free trade means fair competition, in which all participants are equal and one should never hope that the defending champion should always get the trophy.

    Hughes said China is really making the Western countries richer. Consumers certainly feel richer, he explains, "because we see falling prices for clothes and consumer electronics in the shops."

    "Quotas are not the answer, that is clear. However, in what ways can the EU states restructure their social model to compete with China?" asked the expert.

    In his opinion, talk of China as a "threat" goes back over a hundred years and the rhetoric has been growing stronger since the end of the Cold War.

    However, it has probably lessened since the 1990s, and people have started talking more about the practical problems of working with China, the expert said. There is a line where practical issues and ideological issues overlap, he added.

    "I think that if all sides view this in terms of practical problems that have to be solved in the interests of both the West and China, rather than in ideological terms, then there should be less talk of a China threat," Hughes said.

    He also believed that Chinese workers should be allowed to enjoy the same rights as their Western counterparts, saying he was delighted to see his Chinese friends and colleagues enjoy a better standard of living and more opportunities than in the past. Enditem
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-09/02/content_3432496.htm

US scholar: Strong China not a security threat
www.chinaview.cn 2005-08-26 11:33:38

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- A stronger China does not mean it becomes a threat to the United States and the Asian country's rapid development is to the benefit of the whole world, including America, a US scholar says.

    Michael Swaine, an expert on US-China military and security policy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a leading think-tank in the United States, paid tribute to China's rapid growth.

    "It is to the benefit of the world, to the benefit of Asia and to the benefit of the United States for China to be continuing to grow, to expand economically, to become more prosperous, to become, as a result hopefully, more stable and more involved in the international community," Swaine told Xinhua in a recent interview.

    "I myself don't believe that if China is becoming a larger power with more capability, ... it by definition becomes a threat to the United States," Swaine said.

    "If China's growth were to falter, or it began to decline or to break up, I think that many Americans would believe that this would be a very negative consequence for the region, for the world and for the United States. It will produce all kinds of difficulties," said Swaine.

    Swaine noted that the United States and China have "cooperative, convergent and overlapping interests" in many areas.

    "They want peace, stability and prosperity in Asia. They want the maintenance of basically market centered economies in Asia. They want to have free access to critical economic products, such as energy. They want to solve peacefully certain problems in the region such as the Korean Peninsula issue, the problems of the Middle East, and the Taiwan issue."

    But he also admitted there are certain areas that could become "very conflictual" between the United States and China and said the US-China relationship is probably the most complicated bilateral relationship in the world.

    "It combines elements of competition and suspicion with elements of cooperation and some level of trust although the levelof the trust is far too low for what it should be," said Swaine.

    However, the scholar stressed that "it is not inevitable that a larger China will be equal to a predominantly threatening China that could lead to a confrontation or conflict" with the United States.

    The potentiality of conflict between the United States and China could be averted "through very continuous steady management and engagement by the two sides over a range of the issues that may develop differences about," he said.

    Actually, Swaine said, efforts are underway right now by the US and Chinese governments to try to really expand and deepen the dialogue at the senior levels of government to explicitly discuss the areas where they might disagree or agree on strategic questions. "That kind of discussion is essential."

    On the US objection to arms sales by some countries to China, Swaine criticized the US blockade as "not logical." "the United States does not have a good metric by which to measure what is or is not acceptable in terms of increased Chinese military capabilities," he said.

    On the Taiwan issue, Swaine said it is a "very uncertain" factor in the US-China relationship.

    "It could be sustained with relatively tolerable levels of stability for quite some time to come," said Swaine.

    But he added that the Taiwan issue, which is closely linked to the development of the Sino-American relationship, could become a critical factor. "If Sino-American relations are very bad, then the ability to maintain the stability of Taiwan could become much more difficult."

    Michael E. O'Hanlong, a senior fellow of the Brookings Institution, echoed some of Swaine's views on China's growth.

    "As China gets richer, it gets more militarily capable, which is worrisome... Yet it also liberalizes and becomes more integrated into the world community, which is promising," O'Hanlong said in a separate interview with Xinhua.

    "The big question for Americans is, which of these trends is stronger, and which will dominate the other. Our strategy overall is to assume the more optimistic outcome, and try to help China develop, which of course is also good for our own standard of living," he said.

    "The best bet is to hope engagement and development will make China prosperous, peaceful, and cooperative," O'Hanlong said. Enditem

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-08/26/content_3406353.htm

 A rational approach to China's development: Comment
UPDATED: 14:54, August 19, 2005

The "China threat" theory, first appeared in the early 1990s, chiefly targets China's high-speed economic development and has been on and off for more than a decade. In recent years, the theory has been extended to fields such as military security and energy.

Just as what Professor Joseph S.Nye said on today's People's Daily, the rising of a new power will inevitably cause anxiety to existing powers. (full text of Joseph S.Nye's interview, in Chinese). This is a psychological reality in international relations, as well as the psychological background of the "China threat" theory. Viewed from the modern history of international relations, a new power invariably asks for a re-distribution of power and interests, which frequently results in war. This is probably a conceptual background of the "China threat" theory.

However, what mentioned above is no more than a mindset based on a summary of the past 60 years. A new, realistic background analysis is probably needed here regarding China's development or rising.

China's economy began to take off in the 1980s along with the reform and opening-up, a time of rapid-moving economic globalization. The country's internal potential and learning capability merged into the globalization trend, gaining a huge momentum for the economy. Such a developing mode gives the following features to China's advancement.

First, it is a process of gradually merging into world market, a process of adapting oneself to international rules and playing games peacefully within them.

Second, it contains various interest entities and activities of various economies, forming win-win and multi-win relations with the economic activities of other countries. China's advancement has actually become a part of world development.

Third, China displayed a certain degree of imbalance between eastern and western regions during its development process, but policy coordination and the "spillover effect" in economy have begun to appear. Similarly, the nation's development apparently activated its economic relations with its neighbors, with "radiation" and "spillover" effects beginning to emerge.

It is due to these reasons that more and more nations looked upon China's development as an opportunity instead of threat, and more and more countries established complete free trade relations with China. In the United States, Japan and other places, those clinging to "China threat" fall into three main categories. First, interest groups who lost competitive advantages under free trade conditions. Second, people who have lost their physiological balance and are unable to treat China in an equal way. Third, those caught in traditional mindset.

Most people playing up "China threat" in the filed of military security are Americans. Actually, Americans are the least expected to do so considering the nation's military spending, which is about a dozen times higher than China's. Given China's vast land and population, even the inflated US estimations are at a low and very limited level. Viewed from history, China cherishes no tradition of expansion, but focuses more on cultural exchanges and radiation.

In today's world, security and economy also bear a global feature. Nuclear, for example, has increasingly become an issue concerning the life and death of all human beings. Terrorism also stands out as a global concern. China is perfectly aware of that, while some Americans are still indulged in the old dream of dominance by one.

Old mindset can only deal with past realities. A Newsweek column on August 15 criticized the US "awkward handling" of China's rise and its "misunderstanding" over contemporary China. This is absolutely true. Today, if one fails to look on China's development with an equal, open and rational attitude, he is bound to make "awkward" mistakes.

This article by Huang Qing, senior editor of People's Daily, is carried on the seventh page of People's Daily, August 19,and is translated by People's Daily Online

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200508/19/eng20050819_203491.html

A rational voice: on Overholt's article

The "China threat" theory which ceased to beat the drum for a while following the breakout of the war in Iraq shows a trend of making its way back in America recently. Among those who preach the "China threat" theory, some have little knowledge of China's contemporary development and policies, hence many misunderstandings. However, there are also some people, from the US conservative think tanks, to the CIA and the Pentagon, who, confined by the Cold War mindset, deliberately look for new potential enemies. Therefore, with ulterior motives, they describe China's modernization as a threat to America. It is the latter that make use of the ignorance of the former and try to misguide the government and the public opinion.

But more and more Americans are no longer willing to be biased or follow blindly after they realized that they have been deceived and misled by the CIA, Pentagon and the public opinion on the question of the Iraq war. They become more dispassionate and more reasonable. The so-called "China threat" theory made up by the cold-war experts and the Hawks met with cold shoulder and denouncement both in America and abroad once it came out. Many experts and scholars conversant with China issues recently joined each other in refuting the "China threat" theory with reason and evidence in their articles. Among them a rather potent one was published on the website of the RAND Corporation. The article "China and Globalization", is authored by William H. Overholt, who is in charge of the Asia/Pacific policy center of the corporation.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/testimonies/2005/RAND_CT244.pdf

After an objective comment on the chaos and weakness of the old China, the article points out that it was because of the weak China, which was incapable of deterring and repelling Japanese invasion, that incurred the US and the world a "horrible price". For this reason, the world needs a healthy China, the article says. The article continues by highly appraising China's globalization development in various fields. After citing rafts of figures and facts, the article says "although late, China has much more enthusiasm in joining the global system than Japan": not only in terms of attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and free trade but also in terms of education and cultural exchange; not only in terms of seeking foreign technologies and management but also in terms of "adopting the rule of law and advocating competition" etc. Its conclusion is that China has come to believe in globalization more than most third-world countries and many first-world countries.

The article points out that China's globalization has, directly or indirectly, had a strong impact on other countries". On the one hand, China's success encourages other countries to emulate and helps remove the xenophobic mentality in many countries. On the other hand, in face of the bubble burst in technological stock markets and slowing global economic growth, countries like the Republic of Korea and the Philippines found themselves saved from recession by Chinese demand. More importantly, China's demand provides the stimulus that lifted Japan out of recession." "It is quite possible that China's globalization saved us", it is conducive to helping the global economy stepping out of depression. The author illustrates with many examples how Australia benefited from export to China. Many poor countries also benefited from China's import growth just when they needed it most.

The benefits to America brought about by China's development are even more obvious. China becomes America's vast market. The sales of Coca Cola have created a miracle of exceeding one billion tins; General Motors sold large numbers of Buick in China and reaped considerable profits; Profits of joint ventures and wholly-owned businesses remitted huge amounts of dollars back to America. Lower-price Chinese goods all the more raised American living standards by 5 to 10 percent, and helped reduced America's inflation rate. At the same time, they averted the risk of rapid rate increase. China's purchase of US treasury bonds has helped to finance US budget deficit.

Then, has China's development robbed American workers' jobs? The author gives a fair judgment: "China gets blamed for much that it does not cause." "Virtually all job losses have been caused by productivity improvements." "We don't know how many jobs have been saved by partial moves to China decreasing the costs of endangered companies." Haier is now investing in America to manufacture refrigerators. When Lenovo bought IBM's personal computer business, "it saved jobs in a moribund division."

In contrast to some fabricated claims of the "China threat" theory, the author's conclusions are all supported by facts and figures. For example, he wrote that Chinese workers in state-owned enterprises have declined from 110 million at the end of 1995 to 66 million in March 2005. Those who think there has been a simple transfer of US manufacturing jobs to China will be surprised to know that manufacturing jobs in China decreased from over 54 million in 1994 to under 30 million today.

At the end of the article the author writes, in a rather objective way, about the problems and challenges China faces in adjustments and the impact they may have on the world. Referring to China's national defense modernization, the author believes China has no intension of making a show of its strength. "Theories that China is going to take over the world suffer from flaws." "We (Americans) do not face a challenge to our way of life." The author's conclusion is that in many areas "China is our only effective partner." "When we have a prosperous economic partner (China) that is success for us, not failure." "If we welcome China's prosperity, we maximize the chances of an auspicious outcome."

After reading the article it is impossible not to be surprised at the author's profound understanding and incisive analysis of China's economic globalization process, and not to admire the author's global strategic insight. What is more commendable is that the author can transcend ideological bias and look at China's development, changes and their impact with a rational mind and objective attitude. It is fair to say that the article is awakening and disabusing for those who do not quite understand China and those who blindly believed the "China threat" theory in the past.

By People's Daily Online

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200506/20/eng20050620_191309.html

China to be mainstay for peace after peaceful rise

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, April 26, 2004

The peaceful rise of China is on the one hand based on developing itself in an international situation of fighting for peace and on the other maintaining the world peace for its own development. Zheng Bijian, who's a notable theorist and President of the Institute of Humane Culture for Post-graduates of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said on April 22, and the outcome is to realize its rise while serving a mainstay for maintaining the world peace.

On the afternoon of April 22, a "Forum on Chinese Sciences and Humane Culture" sponsored by the Institute for Post-graduates of the Chinese Academy of Sciences continued on its thematic lectures in the 3rd phase in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Zheng Bijian, Chairman of the Forum Council made the aforesaid assertion in his final speech entitled the "Development of China's Peaceful Rise".

Zheng Bijian said, under the condition of the time in which peace and development is the main theme the peaceful rise of China features the independent construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics which is associated with the progress of the economic globalization but not separated from it.

The late Deng Xiaoping once mentioned, the socialism with Chinese characteristics means the socialism to persist in developing productivity, the socialism of advocating peace. The road for China to rise peacefully consists of two basically unified conceptions, advocated Zheng. The choice of China for peaceful rise, the utterly new strategic road has not only broken up the banal rule of "rising through fighting for hegemony and to rise must resort to hegemony" as advocated by some big countries in modern history, but has also the following five features:

1. Unswervingly persist in taking the development as of the primary importance for the CPC in the administration of and rejuvenating the country with the stress laid on economic construction;

2. Practice the policy of opening to the outside world and persevere in its linking up with the economic globalization instead of separation;

3. Adhere to the policy of independence and self-reliance while participating in the economic globalization;

4. Stick resolutely to the policy of reform while making an overall plan for paying attention to the strategic relations and interests of all aspects so as to realize a combination of reform, development and stability;

5. To make great efforts for the rise while abiding by the peaceful foreign policy of self-reliance and independence and never to fight for hegemony and seek for hegemony.

What time is considered the outset for China to rise? Generally speaking, the proclamation of the founding of the People's Republic of China is considered the outset for China to rise politically, said Zheng. But the road of peaceful rise and development we are now speaking of refers specifically to the historical period ranging from the 3rd plenary session of the 11th Party Congress to the middle of the 21st century. In this period China is going to realize basically its modernization and revitalization of the Chinese nation and it is a period in which China is going in for an overall historical orientation and connotation of rise and development. "Therefore, China's peaceful rise and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as well as the basic modernization of China belong to the same historical orientation, historical period and the same connotation in history".

For a period of time especially after the entry into the 21st century, there appeared in the world the theory of "China threat" and also the collapse of China. How can the peace be a threat? Zheng said, and how can the rise come to collapse? The peaceful rise of China is the most favorable counterblow at the theory of "China threat" and China collapse.

The international situation is very changeable, stressed Zheng Bijian and the peaceful rise of China can not be always a plain sailing. To realize the peaceful rise China still needs three big motive forces and four great guarantees. The three big motive forces include innovation of system, of sciences and of culture while the four great guarantees are respectively the competence construction of human resources, construction of a harmonious environment in society, and construction of a powerful national defence as well as a peaceful foreign policy of self-reliance and independence.

By People's Daily Online

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200404/26/eng20040426_141521.shtml

All-win rational choice

UPDATED: 17:10, March 18, 2005

On March 14, three oil companies from China, the Philippines and Vietnam signed in Manila the "agreement on tripartite joint marine seismic work in the agreed region of the South China Sea". According to the agreement, the three parties will jointly carry out three-year oil/gas exploration work in the agreed region of the 140,000-sq. km South China Sea. The agreement points out that the three parties strictly abide by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed by China and the ASEAN (Association of the Southeast Asian Nations) in 2002, the signing of the cooperative agreement will not weaken and change the basic stands of various respective governments on the question of the South China Sea, rather it would turn the territorially disputed South China Sea into a region of peace, stability and development. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs hails this cooperation as an important move for the three parties to jointly carry out the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which has made historic contribution in promoting the stability and development of the South China Sea region. China is willing to conduct pragmatic cooperation with related countries in line with the proposition of "putting aside disputes and engaging in common development", so as to turn the South China Sea into a "sea of friendship" and a "sea of cooperation".

In the late 1970s, Comrade Deng Xiaoping stated for the first time that the Chinese side was willing to solve the controversial issue of sovereignty with neighboring countries in line with the pattern of "putting aside disputes and engaging in common development". The present concord reached among China, the Philippines and Vietnam has proved the political wisdom and actual possibility as contained in Deng Xiaoping's tentative idea.

Many disputes of humankind and of countries are, to the final analysis, dispute over ownership of sovereignty and interests. There is a saying in the theory of international relations, to the effect that the international community is an anarchic society, a society acting upon the jungle law and making decision in line with power politics. In a certain sense, this is a fact, at the same time it is also a tragedy of humankind. Historically, disputes between countries were resolved through reliance on strength and in a zero-sum form, the frequent consequence of which was that the loser suffered crushing defeat, while the winner gained disastrous victory, all those involved were beaten., different only in degrees. Such incidents are too many to enumerate.

In view of the above-mentioned human tragedies, philosophical thinkers put forward many ideals and conceptions, for example, Confucius put forward the idea of "Great Harmony", Immanuel Kant put forward the ideas of "World Government" and a "Global Citizen Society". Although the human reality is still quite far from these ideals, the establishment of the United Nations after WWII and the formulation and execution of many international laws reflect the efforts of human beings heading for such ideals.

Within the transition period of advancing toward the ideal of the great harmony of mankind, the idea and method employed by countries for handling disputes among them are of important significance. What has to be changed first is the zero-sum concept on disputes over rights and interests. If one wants to take up everything, or the victor wants to eat up everything, the result is likely to make one completely isolated, leaving him nothing to eat. This is true of an interpersonal society as well as of the international community. Conversely, if the countries involved are relatively mature and rational and can conduct effective consultation and communication, then it is possible to bring about an all-win situation in the course of a share in interests.

The South China Sea issue is faced with such a situation. There exist here many-sided disputes over sovereignty and the potential of oil/gas resources. One possibility for the development of the situation would be a stalemate among various parties in which no one could get anything; another possibility would be the eruption of conflicts, ending in the destruction of all parties. Taking all these into calculation, we think the best method is to "put aside disputes and seek common development" and thus bring about an all-win result.

After the signing of the agreement among the three parties of China, the Philippines and Vietnam, the various parties spoke highly of it. The Chinese side hailed it as an event of "political demonstration significance and major historic significance", the Philippine President exclaimed it to be a "historic breakthrough", and the Vietnamese side applauded it as a "historic cooperation" among the three countries in the field of the development of energy resources. All these are not merely polite remarks.

At this moment we think more of Comrade Deng Xiaoping. In those years, he set forth a "non-argument" principle for domestic questions, and the tentative idea of "shelving disputes and engaging in common exploitation" for dealing with international disputes, his remarks, though simple, are imbued with political wisdom and feasibility.

Carried on the front page of People's Daily (Overseas Edition) on March 18, this article by Huang Qing is translated by People's Daily Online

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200503/18/eng20050318_177391.html

China should be applauded - A dialogue with Dr. Kuhn

UPDATED: 15:57, March 21, 2005

Dr. Robert Lawrence Kuhn has almost became a household name in China recently. As the Managing Director of Citigroup and the archor of PBS, he authored a famous book entitled The Man who Changed China: The Life and legacy of Jiang Zemin. The book soon became a best seller. Since 1989 Dr. Kuhn has travelled between China and America frequently, advising Chinese government on a variety of major issues.

How does this China expert look at China's Scientific Concept of Development? Our Washington-based correspondent Yong Tang recently did an exclusive interview with Dr. Kuhn.

Kuhn:Two fundamental points to begin. First, China's situation is unique. When the largest population on earth undergoes one of the f