It is a media tradition to look back at what has happened in the
past year and how things will go in the year ahead. For Western
media in general, a popular topic in the recent year-ender and
prediction season is China.
The Independent (daily newspaper) of Great Britain, for
example, ran a series of articles about China on its online edition
earlier this month. The authors described China as the world's
newest superpower, the third largest economy in the world, the
leading consumer society and an engine of economic growth. They
said China's contribution to the world economy surpassed that of
the US, that "Owned by China" will one day be as common as "Made in
China" and that China's culture of innovation will spread to the
rest of the world, and so on.
The US-based bi-monthly Foreign Affairs carried in its
January-February issue an article titled "The Rise of China and the
Future of the West", with a summary that begins by saying "China's
rise will inevitably bring the United States' unipolar moment to an
end". And the author (G John Ikenberry) lays out this view in the
first paragraph: "The rise of China will undoubtedly be one of the
great dramas of the twenty-first century. China's extraordinary
economic growth and active diplomacy are already transforming East
Asia, and future decades will see even greater increases in Chinese
power and influence." The author holds that America's "unipolar"
era is bound to expire, but the international system it heads is
now more vital thanks to its "openness" and "freedom". He says
conflicts and war can be avoided by embracing China.
There are others with somewhat different views, including those
who describe China as "rich and poor" and "strong yet vulnerable
superpower".
Taken in whole, the Western media's discussion of China this
year really reflects a wide range of opinions, some which are not
as sentimentalized and morally conceited as we are used to hearing.
Instead, they are more focused on assessing China as it is in
reality. Be it praise or sneer, people are better off not reading
too much into such babbling anyway. And by saying so I include my
fellow Chinese as well: just respond to comments by the foreign
press by saying: "So what?"
China is a reality and that is that. We do not soar or fall
according to what others say. As Chinese citizens we feel the
progress our nation has made and the shortcomings it has, like a
fish knows if the water is warm or cold, and we know only too well
that we will never reach the top unless we keep climbing step by
step.
In economics, the values of commodities are not always reflected
by their prices because prices are determined by the ever-changing
relationship between supply and demand, but in the end value
matters. In a virtual economy the values and prices of commodities
such as stocks tend to vary by bigger margins and are affected more
strongly by psychological factors.
For a nation its real value lies in the all-round quality of its
citizenry, the development of its society, the inherent vitality of
its economy and its capability to make correct strategic decisions.
And those are what our efforts should be focused on.
Outsider's assessments of a country are reminiscent of a market
analysis, which can change in tone from ultra-high to super-low in
a heartbeat. For those concerned it is best not to think too much
about what others say.
History is full of bloody lessons about overblown prices, such
as what Japan experienced in the 1980s, when the value of its
currency rose to record highs and property prices sky-rocketed. The
economic bubble back then was so enormous that when it burst and
people realized the degree to which prices did not reflect values,
the country's economy sank into a coma for more than a decade. The
same "money game" has taken its toll on other Asian economies in
the recent past.
People should think clearly when dealing with symbols, be they
money or superlatives. China is under similar pressure these days
and we need to remind ourselves of what would happen if we lost
control.
China adopted the policy of reform and opening to the outside
world 30 years ago. The move symbolized the nation's desire to
participate in the international system on its own free will. It
also means the suggestion by Western countries that "China should
integrate itself into the international system" is really too late.
To a certain extent such talk by some Western countries is a kind
of self-psychotherapy.
In the past some Westerners refused to treat China as an equal
member of the international community or a partner in international
cooperation. They saw China as one of "the others". Now China's
economy is growing more important to the world economy by the day,
as it contributes more to global growth and becomes more closely
linked with other economies. Some of the China-bashers have
realized that their views about China no longer make sense and that
it is time to ditch them. Late or not, it counts as progress.
And amid the contemporary enthusiastic assessments of China
there are also voices of suspicion and even fear. It was a kind of
law in the era of international power politics that the emergence
of a major power always required a redistribution of power and
interests, which inevitably led to war and drastic changes of the
global status quo.
Today, against the backdrop of economic globalization, the game
is played differently and the rules have changed. In the theater of
history, one day's tragedy is another day's comedy.
It is China's policy to never seek hegemony. We desire a
harmonious world. China's development contributes to world peace
and stability.
(China Daily January 25, 2008)
