TAKING CENTER STAGE: Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai (left) dines with British actor Charlie Chaplin (second left) and his wife during the Geneva Conference in Switzerland on July 18, 1954. The Geneva Conference was the debut of the People's Republic of China in the international arena (XINHUA)

In these fields, China has not played roles in accordance with its strength. Nevertheless, the country's shortcomings have all been masked by its economic take-off.

In addition, current developments in terms of education and environmental protection in China have also fallen behind its economic development. Thus, a series of reforms are still needed. In general, Deng's line of economic development will likely endure for some time and will play a dominant role over the next 10 to 20 years.

In the era of Deng, Chinese diplomacy mirrored China's relations with the rest of world. China has emerged as a powerful driving force for the world's economic development. However, its ability to help lift developing countries out of poverty has yet to be fully realized.

With the enhancement of China's national strength and international status, people at home and abroad are calling on China to bear more responsibility as a great power. At present, how should it undertake these responsibilities in diplomacy?

China should continue its emergence not only as an economic power, but also as an ethical role model with higher moral standards. It should contribute more to the world in terms of culture, mode of development, sustainable growth and promotion of universal values while pursuing its own economic development.

Given China's growing national strength and international status, the international community is demanding more and more from the country. It needs to be ready for this.

To undertake responsibilities as a great power, China, first of all, needs to increase foreign aid. China needs to have its own ODA (official development assistance) program. As they became developed, countries like Japan began to distribute aid to other countries. Likewise, China should also act in the interests of the international community.

China, too, must show the world it is not only an ODA recipient, but also a provider. Foreign aid, meanwhile, refers not only to material aid, but also includes non-material aid, like sending more volunteers abroad and building a Chinese Peace Corps.

In the future, China should strive for international treaties named after Chinese cities. This requires the country to make corresponding contributions and investments. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which has evolved into an important regional security mechanism, is named after Shanghai, because China has made great efforts and investments in the organization. This is a good beginning.

Visible financial aid aside, China should definitely increase the percentage of intangible public products in its total national finance. For North European countries such as Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark, the value of their public products accounts for about 1 percent of their national treasury.

In major countries such as Britain, France, the United States and Japan, meanwhile, this percentage is 0.1 percent-0.2 percent. In China, however, it is only about 0.04 percent. Currently, China still lacks the consciousness of providing public products.

It is essential for China to increase its contributions to peacekeeping operations and other international programs for assistance and development. At present, the number of peacekeepers China deploys worldwide is not small, but is very low relative to its percentage of China's total population.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China can and should contribute more to safeguarding world peace.

Of course, this will be a gradual process. And it should be conducted out of the will of the people once they understand its significance.

In doing so, it will be able to change the misperception that China is a profiteering economy to show the world that China, besides its desire to acquire resources, is a generous nation, too.

Now, more than ever, since the Chinese economy has reaped great benefits, China must also reward the rest of the world within its capacity, and in an appropriate way.

For such a populous developing country as China, taking more international responsibilities will inevitably impact some of its national interests. How can China strike a balance between national interests and international responsibilities?

In an effort to realize the balance, China should take into account three demands: economic development, sovereignty and security and international responsibilities. The first and second demands are the incarnation of China's national interests.