From the Readers

Living standard counts above superpower status

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-04-21 17:08

Comment on "Global poll shows uptick on China's image" (April 21, China Daily)

Some may think that Western countries are hostile to China due to China being a "threat" to their own economies in China's great economic growth. Yet, I really feel that this is not the reason Western countries are hostile towards China.

Anyone with even a bit of economic knowledge knows that China's growth is a benefit both to China and the entire world. So China's growth actually benefits the Western countries, as well as China itself.

Some may say that the Western countries don't want China to be a superpower. While this may be true for much the United States' population, most Europeans don't care. For Europeans, superpower status is not important. What is important is comfort of living.

Every country should simply strive to attain a good comfort of living, without worrying about superpower status really. Think about it, humans from every country wish to enjoy a good comfort of living. Chinese love to buy large American cars because they are much more comfortable than the more compact European or Japanese cars.

Superpower status doesn't really matter to the people, comfort of living does. If a country becomes a superpower, it is just adding responsibilities to itself. The country of Luxembourg has the highest GDP per capita in the world and the people enjoy very comfortable lives, but the country is far from a superpower, and it's people really could not care, since they enjoy comfortable living, and that's what really matters.

Ted on China Daily website