From Chinese Press

Chinese wisdom stands the test of "economic responsibility"

By Zhang Xinyi (peopledaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-07-28 16:22

Some Western countries recently have dished out arguments demanding China take responsibility for its trade surplus as well as its role as a creditor, energy consumer and carbon emitter. All these aggressive views tied up with responsibilities are unfounded.

Although China has made brilliant achievements over the past decade, it is still undeniably a developing country. China has learned to rethink its growth pattern and reset the development momentum following the global credit crunch. Taking per capita GDP as an example, there are 97 countries and regions with per capita GDP above 3,000 U.S. dollars, and 51 countries and regions above 10,000 U.S. dollars. There are also 18 countries like the United States and Japan, the per capita GDPs of which are above 40,000 U.S. dollars. China is still undergoing industrialization and urbanization, and there is still a huge gap between China and the developed nations.

Furthermore, there are also some deep-seated problems that hinder China's development, such as extensive growth pattern, irrational structure and unhealthy mechanism. It will be a difficult and complicated task to realize the transition from extensive growth to intensive and sustainable development; and it will be more complex to ensure growth and adjust structure simultaneously during a period of global economic uncertainty.

China stood against the adverse current of global downturn and played a leading role in combating the negative impact of global financial crisis, demonstrating the image of a country with great responsibility.

With regard to the facts and figures, China's "economic responsibility" can not withstand a single blow. No matter how one slices it, what China has done does not deserve any censure. However, "China's responsibility" resurges at this critical moment. Some countries benefit from China's development while they criticize China's growth. The double standard they create actually means more harsh terms for China, forcing China to bear more responsibilities. It was the attempt for those countries to maintain their economic hegemony and their pessimism about China's rapid development.

China has opened up its door to the outside world and played an increasingly greater role in the international arena. Western powers are imposing pressure on China and putting more conditions, sometimes harsh, on China. It is a psychological test for China. However, there is nothing more important than working in a down-to-earth manner and advancing step by step.