But if we calculate in the way of the late French economist Jean Fourasti, our living standards are about two or three times higher than of the Chinese in terms of average wages and local commodity prices.
In the development trajectory, with annual per capita GDP growth rate at 7-8 percent, Chinese people will catch up with us in 2030. As to two-wheel vehicles they have already surpassed us: in Shanghai and many other places in China, bicycles and motors have quietly given way to electrical bicycles.
The whole world should be glad at witnessing China's progress in getting rich.
China is investing more in the next generation's education and modern infrastructure, but far from enough. It has to accelerate its development before it gets aged.
Benefiting from the national banking system and the whole savings accounting for 40 percent of its GDP, China is able to invest huge amounts of money into infrastructure and public facilities.
China is expected to enter a perfect growth period fueled by domestic demands after the Beijing Olympic Games and 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.
The rapid development has brought great benefits to littoral areas.
Inlands are not that lucky. For example, the western parts with 11 percent of the Chinese population contribute only 7 percent of GDP. It is true, but the good news is that Chinese people are developing the "faraway West" which takes up about half of the total territory.
Tibet is a place that many French media outlets give large space to. But we have learned about a completely different Tibet from them: it has been part of Chinese territory since the 13th century.
Thanks to declining infant mortality, there is a population of 2.8 million in Tibet autonomous region, in which 92 percent are Tibetans. Please remember that in the population there in 1951 Tibetans were 1.1 million.
When we criticize China, we should be a little more moderate, for at least the big power recognizes customs and rights of its 55 minority ethnic groups, which altogether compose 100 million of its total 1.3 billion population.
In one word, we should be optimistic about human's future after seeing the sample of China's development. China successfully realizes modernization through its history, culture and traditional values.
We believe that while the "Middle Kingdom" can be authoritative enough to effectively tackle pollution, traffic jams, corruption and other social problems – they also make headlines in any other country's newspapers, Chinese people can arrange their personal lives of their own free will.
(China Daily June 24, 2008)
