China is expected to become an "advanced developed country" in the second half of this century, according to a report published on Friday.

The China Modernization Report 2005, released at a seminar organized by the China Center for Modernization Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), concluded China will become a "moderately developed country" before 2050 thanks to its ongoing modernization drive.

Experts and scholars involved in the study believe that China's modernization of economy is scheduled to bring it into the ranks of the world's top 40 developed countries in the first half of this century.

They predicted that the country's modernization process will be upgraded in three stages to achieve this goal.

In the middle of this century, China will become a "moderately developed country" instead of simply remaining as a "primarily developed one."

Around 2080, persistent economic growth will enable China to become a "developed country" and then to be in front of the world's most industrialized countries within the next two decades, the experts and scholars say.

Analyzing China's history and the progress of its modernization so far, the report puts forward a roadmap as a reference for the country to reach the scheduled goal.

"China must follow a way of coordinately developing its industries and agricultures, improving ecosystems in the process, adopting high technologies along with appropriate ones and pushing forwards its national economy in line with globalization," the report said.

Addressing the development problems China will face in the years to come, experts warned that the country is presented with both opportunities and critical challenges.

While benefiting from the era of economic and cultural globalization, China has to work hard to maintain sustainable economic and environmental development, ensure the stability of its power supplies, guarantee financial stability and protect its national interests.

(China Daily February 19, 2005)