Xinhuanet United Nations, November 24th Interview: China Becomes the Engine of World Economic Growth ―― Interview with UN Under-Secretary-General Sha Zukang.
Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xiangjiang Wu Zhiqiang
This year marks the 30th anniversary of China’s reform and opening up. From a diplomat to the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Sha Zukang has witnessed the great changes in China. In an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency recently, he said that after 30 years of reform and opening up, China has become one of the engines driving world economic growth.
Sha Zukang pointed out that China has achieved sustained and high-speed development in the past 30 years of reform and opening up, with its economic aggregate increasing by about 15 times and its foreign trade volume increasing by more than 100 times. In the history of modern world development, the sustained and rapid development of China is rare.
Sha Zukang said that China’s contribution to reducing the world’s poor population is also obvious to all. Over the past 30 years, about 500 million people in China have escaped from absolute poverty, exceeding and ahead of schedule the goal of halving the poverty population in 2015 set by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
Sha Zukang talked about the reasons for the success of China’s reform and opening up from the perspective of economic development. First of all, the goal of China’s reform and opening up is clear, that is, to promote economic and social development by liberating productive forces; Second, formulate various reform and opening-up measures realistically. China’s reform and opening-up emphasizes China’s characteristics and national conditions, which not only boldly breaks through the traditional "planned economy" frame, but also does not blindly copy the western capitalist model; Third, the process of reform and opening-up should be promoted step by step. China’s reform and opening-up measures, starting from the "responsibility system" in rural areas, to the reform of prices, foreign trade system, state-owned enterprises, and then to the financial system, have been carried out step by step and steadily, without adopting the so-called "shock therapy".
Sha Zukang said that another main reason for the success of China’s reform and opening up is to base itself on the national conditions. The development of a country mainly depends on its own efforts. The development experience of foreign countries can be used for reference, but it is not suitable for copying and "grafting", and it needs to be studied and explored in light of its own national conditions.
Sha Zukang pointed out that China does not want other countries to impose its model on China, and China has always stressed that different countries can have different models of economic development, which is also an important reason for China’s success. He said that China accounts for one fifth of the world’s population, and the areas involved in the process of reform, opening up and development are unprecedented. China has encountered many difficulties and problems in the process of reform and opening up, and China has also accumulated many experiences and lessons in dealing with and solving these difficulties and problems, some of which can be used for reference by other developing countries.
When talking about China’s cooperation with other developing countries, Sha Zukang said that China has always attached great importance to it and actively promoted cooperation with other developing countries, that is, "South-South" cooperation. When negotiating various world development issues at the United Nations and other occasions, China always stands in the position of safeguarding the interests of developing countries.
When talking about the relationship between China’s reform and opening up and the development of the United Nations, Sha Zukang said that development is one of the three pillars of the work of the United Nations and the foundation of the other two pillars-peace, security and human rights. China’s achievements in reform and opening up in the past 30 years are consistent with the purpose of the United Nations to promote common development in the world.
He said that China is the largest developing country and the fastest growing economy, and the United Nations is the most extensive, representative and authoritative intergovernmental international organization in the world. With the deepening of economic globalization, the development of China is increasingly inseparable from the world, and the world needs China more. The cooperation between the United Nations and China in the field of development has a profound foundation and broad prospects.
Sha Zukang also pointed out that China is still a developing country with low and middle income and is facing many challenges, such as the income gap between the rich and the poor and environmental problems. But these are developing problems that can be solved through in-depth reform and opening up. In fact, in recent years, the China government has put forward the development program of "people-oriented" and "harmonious society" and the Scientific Outlook on Development, emphasizing the quality of development rather than simply pursuing the growth rate of GDP, which has laid a policy foundation for solving new problems in development and ensuring the sustainable development of China’s economy.
Sha Zukang said: "A government that has clear development goals and is committed to achieving these goals, an economic system that can stimulate productivity and mobilize enthusiasm, and the hard work of the people are the basic experiences of China’s successful development."
The World Bank predicts that China’s economy will grow by 7.5% next year.
China Daily Online News: In its latest quarterly report, the World Bank affirmed the recent measures taken by the China government to stimulate the economy, and predicted that China’s economy will grow by 7.5% next year. < < < detailed
The International Monetary Fund predicts that the economies of Asian countries will slow down sharply.
Zhongxin. com, November 25th, International CurrencyfundIn the Asia-Pacific Economic Outlook report published on the 24th, the organization said that the world financial crisis will last until the end of 2009. Against this background, Asia’s growth may slow sharply and its vulnerability will increase.
According to the UN website, the international currencyfundThe organization’s Asia-Pacific Economic Outlook report points out that before the end of 2009, Asia’s economic growth will slow down significantly. As the global economic slowdown has affected exports, it is expected that the growth in Asia will be mainly driven by domestic demand. However, it remains to be seen whether domestic demand can stand the test under the situation of sharp decline in export growth and more severe financial conditions. < < < detailed
Changjiang Daily: During the period of economic adjustment, it is especially necessary to stabilize social sentiment.
Xinhua News Agency’s International Herald Tribune reported that since 2008, many mass incidents have shaken China. The article also takes "contending with the people is the culprit" as the subtitle, trying to explore the deep-seated reasons behind mass incidents and sort out the rational ways to deal with incidents, resolve contradictions and Fushun emotions.
Experience at home and abroad tells us that economic problems and social problems must be intertwined and influenced each other. At present, the deeply spreading international financial crisis has swept the world, which also affects the sensitive nerves of China’s economy. In October, this year’s fiscal revenue showed negative growth in a single month for the first time. The combination of background factors, such as the closure of enterprises caused by the economic downturn and the cold employment, and the interest differentiation brought about by the social transition in China, makes it possible to highlight and sharpen all kinds of social contradictions, and the resulting social and psychological frustration and unstable factors will inevitably not exist alone in individual industries and groups. In such a relatively special period, effectively resolving social contradictions and stabilizing social sentiment will be a realistic task that the government must face in addition to expanding domestic demand and boosting the economy. < < < detailed
Related links:
