Peaceful development
In recent foreign media reports, China has been described as being full of self-confidence, or even arrogance. But that is not how China thinks of itself.
First, though the Chinese economy saw a rapid growth in recent years, the country still has problems to solve, such as uneven development between urban and rural areas and between different regions, a large population and a weak economic foundation. In general, the country is still at the primary stage of development.
Cities like Beijing and Shanghai cannot represent the whole of China. Strenuous efforts still have to be made to build a society that is better off in all aspects. The country will have to wait till the middle of this century to become a medium-level developed country, and it might take a hundred years or more before modernization can be realized.
Second, China has always adhered to the path of peaceful development, and its development will not affect any other country. China has never sought hegemony in the past and will never do so as a developed country in the future.
Third, China has always been steadfast in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, even when it was still poor.
Fourth, China is a responsible country and has played an active role in international cooperation and in the handling of major global economic and political issues. Its aid to other developing countries has always been unconditional. |