The Development of China: Opportunities for All Threat to None
Address by H.E. Mr. Song Deheng
Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Mumbai
Rotary Club of Bombay Hills South
January 12th, Mumbai
Mr. Adi Vakil, President, Rotary Club of Bombay Hills South,
Mr. Peshotamwa, Honorary Secretary,
Mr. Hosi Karanjia, Programme Committee Chairman,
Rotarians, Ladies & Gentlemen,
Good Afternoon!
After attending several such kind of meetings at different clubs, I regard myself an honorary member of your Rotary Club, so it is really my great pleasure to be here with you again. Some days back, at another Rotary Club get-together here, a businessman who keeps shuttling between India and China told me that the first Rotary Club in Shanghai has been launched recently. I was not in surprise at the happening, because I know it would come into being earlier or later in a more open and inclusive China.
Ladies and Gentlemen, today, both India and China are advancing in an unprecedented great course of development. Being an important partner of India in various fields, China is becoming more and more attractive to Indian people from all walks of life, so I understand your concern about what happened in your neighboring country, when I was asked by your Club to brief on the "development of China". With pleasure, I would like to share some of my observations of it with you.
First, the development of China is by the people. I heard a view so often that Chinese economic reform was from up to bottom, started by central government, especially when people argue on the different development formats adopted by China and India. Obviously, this viewpoint underestimated the creativity of the Chinese people. You may not know, it was some villagers not government who initiated the land reform from collective cultivation to household quota system, the prelude of comprehensive reform at the end of 1970s, and then the government popularized their successful experiences to other areas. In cities, despite the outstanding achievement of state-owned enterprises, the share of private enterprises accounts for more than 50% in the GDP and keeps increase. If the development of China is only a "political movement" dominated by Government, it's hard to explain the sustaining economic boom for the last 25years?
Second, the development is for the people. According to the updated statistic data, in the past 25 years, Chinese economy has been maintaining 9.6% average growth per annum, China became the fourth biggest economy in the world with a GDP of US$2.3trillion and per capita income reached US$1400 in 2005. Certainly, the GDP growth is an important index of development, but not the whole meaning of development. One of the major goals of Chinese development is poverty alleviation and betterment of the people's living since the reform and opening-up policy initiated at the end of 1970s. China has created a miracle by feeding nearly 22% of the world's population on less than 10% of the world's arable land, more than 220 million Chinese people did away with poverty and began to live an affluent life. At present, there are 400 million mobile phone users and a hundred million computer browsers in China. Private car increases rapidly at a speed of a million a year. The reason why China became the No. 1 destination of FDI is so clear to those confident investors: tapping the potential of China's huge market, made in China and sold in China.
Third, the development of the people. More than two thousand years ago, Confucius, the great Chinese philosopher, said, "Tao, including any doctrines, thoughts and policies, must be of people. If not, it is just a falsity". The development of China is right the development of people. The work of building a democratic government with more efficiency and transparence has been proceeding all the time. Efforts have been made to construct "good and progressive governance". Today, a mature legislation system, systems of administrative supervision, examination and approval, a system of expert consultation, discussion and appraisal and a system of public hearing and publicity are available and function efficiently in China.
Forth, the development of China is peaceful. There are always some suspicions and even buzz on the Chinese unprecedented development. These are counted as: "China Collapse", "China Threat" and "China Famine" and so on. Who is threatened by China? None. On the contrary, China used to be threatened, invaded, divided even subjugated by foreign countries and West Allied Forces in the old days. This is an unassailable historical fact. You people are wise. Take my advice: do not believe the so-called "China Threat" that is the unfriendly Western gimmick of containing China, simply a sort of psychological war. Fortunately, there is not any sign of "China Collapse" or "victims of Chinese famine pour into peripheral countries". As a populous big country, a strong China certainly impacts on the world enormously, but China is not celestial, its development is an important component of global development with her huge contributions to the sustained development of human society; China is not threat but opportunity to other countries. Statistics released by the World Bank show that China's economic growth contributed on an average 13% to world economic growth from 2000 to 2004, becoming a key driving force for the latter. In 2004, the world economy recorded the swiftest growth in 30 years, while China's economy contribution to it is 23.6%, only 11% less than U.S.A, the single superpower holding 29% of the world GDP and 7 times of China's. During the period of 1980-2000, Chinese GDP quadrupled, while the annual consumption of energy only doubled. Due to China's intensified efforts for environmental protection, its dust discharge has remained the same as in 1980s despite a big increase in thermal-power generation. Its energy consumption of per US$1,200 GDP in 2004 dropped by 45% compared to 1990. China has made medium-and long-term plans for energy conservation, aimed at keeping an annual energy-saving rate of 3% by 2020, that will save 1.4 billion tons coal. China has also made contributions to the stable development of its neighboring areas. Motivated by China's development, the Asia-Pacific economy kept a 6% growth between 1999 and 2004. China's sustained economic growth, social stability and its people's well-to-do life also benefit its neighboring countries either immediate or nearby that count more than 20. Upon the occurrence of the Indian Ocean tsunami in late 2004, China offered timely and sincere aid - the largest external aid in the history of New China - to the suffering countries in their rescue and re-construction effort. China extended assistance when massive earthquake struck South Asia in October 2005. Its medical team sent to Pakistan that was hard hit worked day and night to save as many lives as they could. Their service was highly commended by Pakistan.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an inevitable choice based on China's historical and cultural tradition that China persists unswervingly in taking the road of peaceful development. Chinese culture is a pacific one. The Chinese people have always been longing for peace and pursuing of harmony. Six hundred years ago, Zheng He, the famous navigator of the Ming Dynasty, led the then largest fleet in the world and made seven voyages to the "Western Seas," reaching more than 30 countries and regions, including India, in Asia and Africa. What he offered to the areas he visited were tealeaves, chinaware, silk and technology, etc. What he brought to the outside world were peace, civilization and common prosperity, which fully reflected the good faith of the ancient Chinese people in friendly exchanges with various peoples. Based on the present reality, China's development has not only benefited her own 1.3 billion people, but also opened large markets and provided development opportunities for countries throughout the world.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Both India and China, two great nations with the longest history of civilization in the world, are experiencing a great transformation. We destined to be stand up on the center of world stage again after centuries of being abased and downtrodden tragedies, only if we follow the path of peaceful development and mutual benefit. Nowadays, China and India are working hard to establish a strategic and cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity based on mutual and equal security, development and prosperity of the two peoples; and making contributions to jointly addressing global challenges and threats. An all-round expansion of Sino-Indian economic cooperation, including trade and investment, constitutes an important dimension of stronger bilateral relations. In 2005, we witnessed another boom of bilateral trade with the volume of US$18 billion. Rapid growth of trade and economic cooperation between our two countries has been coupled with the expansion of exchanges and cooperation in other fields in recent years. Your Foreign Secretary Mr. Saran is now talking with his counterpart in Beijing about how to resolve existing problems and forge a strategic and co-operative relationship. China reiterated the great importance to the status of India in international affairs.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Based on Chinese culture and tradition, the "harmony" is an ultimate goal not only for its people but also for its national development. The reading of Chinese people to "harmony" is "peace" plus "cooperation". Panchasheela, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, jointly advocated by Prime Minister Nehru and Premier Zhou Enlai, is right a embodiment of "harmony"; the serenity remaining for 30-odd years on Indo-China border is the peace; the co-purchase by IONGC and CNPC is the cooperation. To build a harmonious country and then a harmonious world is not a dream but a sincere hope and unremitting pursuit of our peoples only if we are able to work for its realization heart to heart and hand in hand. I really hope that the year of 2006 declared by our two Governments the "Year of China-India Friendship" would be a firm step to realize our goal.
Thanks a lot.