What Can China Contribute to the World?

Dear Chancellor Vasili Botopoulo,

Professors,

Young Ladies and Gentlemen,

Kalispela sas!

Thank you for having me at this Forum. This is the second time I pay homage to your prestigious university since last November. I enjoy being with motivated young learners. I have come to the age to prefer being asked "how young are you" instead of "how old are you". Therefore, very often I reflect on what a Chinese philosopher said--life is limited, while knowledge is limitless.

Today, I'd like to share with you a few thoughts on one topic: What can a fast developing China contribute to this world?

First of all, as Greece is at a difficult time, allow me to sensitize what development means to China.

More than sixty years ago, China braced up from ruins of wars----eight years of World War II and four years of civil war. Not to mention a century of defeats and concessions, starting from the Opium War in 1840. After the founding of the People's Republic, we covered a long way through trials and errors, twists and turns. Independence, liberation, revolution, great leap-forward, peace, development, reform, opening-up----different keywords dominated different periods of the country's history. We had our "lost decade" from 1966 to 1976.

The Chinese experience may sound familiar to Greece, but at different scales. With a population of 1.3 billion, the country's economy has expanded at an annual rate of nearly 10% for the last 31 years. We have covered the course of industrialization that took the Western forerunners two centuries. We have lifted 235 million people out of poverty. We have transformed a planned economy to a socialist market economy. Changed from a closed society to an open one. Brought a country of isolation into full integration with the world. Our internet users amount to 384 million, websites 3.6 million. Over 200 million blogs post over 4 million articles every day.

Yet we remain a developing country and have a long way to go. Our per capita GDP is 3700 dollars, ranking behind 100 other countries in the world. But our task is a people-centered development, much more than business and money. Over 135 million people live off less than a dollar a day. Ten million people still have no access to electricity. Yes, that must be changed. We have to improve the living conditions for 700 million rural population. Create jobs for 5.32 million university graduates each year. Reemploy 20 million migrant workers laid-off due to the financial crisis. Yes, there is more. We have to transform the way of economic growth to make it sustainable, innovative, and energy-efficient. That is development of the people, by the people and for the people.

So this is where we stand. Sustainable development is a mission for Chinese diplomats and a major source of our foreign policy. Development in peace and partnership with as many countries as possible, making the world a better place for all, this is the central task of China's contemporary diplomacy.

Second, allow me to inform you of how our neighbors perceive China's role.

We are considered an open market. Despite the challenges of the financial crisis, the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area has launched this year as scheduled. This is the largest FTA between developing countries in the world. Under this arrangement, more than seven thousand products from Southeast Asian countries enter the Chinese market duty-free. Tropical fruits worth nearly 50 million dollars have been exported from this area to China in January and February.

We are considered a stabilizing factor. We adhere to a defensive national defense policy. We have disarmed 1.7 million troops in last twenty years and maintained a low percentage of military spending in the world. We played constructive roles in resolving disputes through diplomatic efforts. Such as the Korean Peninsula and Iran nuclear issues. We safeguard stability, promote prosperity through our presence in the APEC, Shanghai Cooperation Organization and China-ASEAN partnership. We work with others in countering terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Of course, there are outstanding issues with some neighboring countries. Yet the peaceful settlement of China's long border with Russia and Central Asian neighbors has shown us that when there is a will, there is a way.

Third, what is the bearing of a fast developing China on the world economy?

Through reform and opening up, participation in the globalization, China has deeply integrated with the rest of the world. In coping with the financial crisis, China has taken an active part. From the first moment the crisis struck, we know that China is in the same boat with the international community. We promoted the establishment of an Asian foreign exchange reserve pool worth 120 billion US dollars. We signed currency swap agreements with other countries worth 650 billion US dollars. We have cancelled the debts of 49 heavily indebted poor countries and least developed countries. We provided over 200 billion RMB yuan assistance to other developing countries. We have stepped up coordination with other countries on macroeconomic policies and taken an active part in the G20 summits. We have joined global efforts to tackle the crisis and advanced the reform of the international trading regime and financial system.

The crisis struck China without mercy. Factories manufacturing goods for foreign markets shut down. In Guangdong province alone, 20 thousand factories were out of business. Workers returned to the rural areas by tens of millions. Yet China rose up to the challenge. We acted with swift, powerful and accurate stimulus packages. With plans to restructure and revitalize ten major industrial sectors, from construction, finance to ship building. We boosted our domestic market. We started building up a social security network covering all. Our efforts paid out. Last year, China's GDP grew by 8.7 percent and reached 4.9 trillion US dollars. In another way of saying it, China contributed 29 percent to global economic growth with its strong demand and speedy recovery. The United Nations projected that figure to be 50 percent. Chinese demand for raw materials helped boost confidence in Australia, in shipping industry, in New York Stock exchange.

The crisis has also provided both incentives and pressure for China to go green. China is investing heavily in research and development. The country has become a giant laboratory for testing all kinds of clean energy technologies. Of the stimulus package of 400 billion Euros, 15% was invested in addressing climate change. The Chinese government has announced its targets for 2020 based on 2005 levels. These include: bringing down CO2 per unit of GDP by 40-45%; increasing the ratio of non-fossil energy to 15%; expanding forest coverage by 40 million hectares, almost three times the size of Greece. The most important factor is, when China promises, it keeps its promise. By 2020, China will have reduced its emissions of CO2 by 1 billion tons.

Fourth, a fast-developing China has made itself a valuable partner for Europe and Greece.

As the biggest developing country and the biggest group of developed countries, China and the EU have forged a comprehensive strategic partnership with a broad framework of cooperation. We have put in place an annual summit mechanism and 17 political consultation mechanisms. Bilateral trade between China and the EU has seen a 176-fold increase in last 35 years, making the EU China's largest trading partner and China the EU's second largest trading partner. As a Dutch study concluded, "cheaper Chinese goods have saved the average European household around 300 Euros a year." China-EU trade volume exceeded 360 billion U.S. Dollars last year. Nearly 27 thousand European companies have invested in China. Over 150 thousand Europeans are working in China. At this moment, nearly 200 thousand Chinese students are studying in the EU. Each year, over 1 million Chinese tourists travel to Europe.

Greece and China have close and longstanding friendship. Our cooperation has developed fast. Greece was the most adamant supporter for Beijing Olympics. History proved that Greece was right. China's COSCO has started operating the Piraeus Container Terminal since last October. It will invest 360 million Euros in updating its facilities and hire directly and indirectly over 600 port workers. It will boost the throughput from 1.47million to 3.7million in a few years. Greek Cultural Year in China was a big success. The first Confucius Institute was set up in Athens. Greece was the country of honor in Beijing Book fair two years ago. China will be country of honor in Thessaloniki Book Fair this year.

Last but not least, as an ancient civilization, Greece's equal in the East, what China can contribute to the thinking on international relations and ways of life?

We cherish the values that have guided our nation for five millennia. The distinct feature of the Chinese mentality is its like for solidarity, harmony and peace. These ideas in Chinese are expressed with one word, He. This is the starting point of a Chinese person, family and society. We believe in the philosophy of treating others with goodwill, good faith, courtesy, respect, and as equals. In pursuit of success, one should enable others to succeed. In seeking benefits, one should benefit others as well. Both Confucius and the Holy Bible share the wisdom of do unto others as you would have do unto you. We shall always make friends with people around the world. These are the mental and philosophical sources of China's Harmonious World approach.

Dear friends, it's my great pleasure to get to know you and help you get to know China. I hope this is only the start for you to study my country and its diplomacy. I also look forward to supporting your interest in China study, for some of you to become China experts.

I wish you good luck. I wish Greece good luck. Agapaw tin Elada.

Thank you.