Are China and the US missing opportunities?
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E-mail Beijing Review, January 6, 2016
Editor's Note: As more and more countries become aware that China is starting to assume more global responsibilities, they are adjusting their policies accordingly, since they can also find tremendous potential for partnership with China. What can China offer to help solve global problems and contribute to balanced growth? How can more countries benefit from China's development and therefore work with China in sincerity? Fu Ying, Chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, addressed the future of China's relationship with the world at the Sanya Forum 2015 in south China's Hainan Province on December 12, 2015. The following is an edited translation of her speech:
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Visiting Chinese naval sailors are greeted by their U.S. counterparts upon their arrival in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 13, 2015 (XINHUA) |
Some describe today's China as in an era of "trivial matters," where people have deeper pockets and more leisure time. From online debates, one may find that what worries young people are things like: Should I risk being extorted to help up an elderly person who fell on the ground? Or, for the Chinese lunar New Year (Spring Festival), should I visit my own mother or my mother-in-law?
Surely, we have even bigger issues to tackle. At the conference held in late November 2015 by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on poverty alleviation, discussions were centered on how to lift the over 70 million Chinese who are living below the country's current poverty line of 2,300 yuan ($355) in annual income out of poverty over the next five years. To this end, the CPC Central Committee has developed comprehensive arrangements, which includes, among other things, production facilitation and more medical and educational resources for the poverty-stricken population.
Meanwhile, we can see from television that there is chaos in parts of today's world. There are countries torn by conflicts and wars and refugees driven out of their homes. Major terrorist attacks have stricken fear into people's hearts. We understand that peace and stability can never be overvalued. The rapid growth China has enjoyed over the last three decades and the well-being of the Chinese people today are essentially the results of the sound political and security environments we have managed to maintain.
The year 2015 marked the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. It is also the first year of the second century since the beginning of the World War I. Humankind witnessed over the past century two global hot wars and one cold one, and the endless conflicts and wars have taught us deep lessons. Standing at the doorstep of another historic chapter, we need to reevaluate our options: to reaffirm our worldwide commitment to peace and development, or allow conflicts and turmoil to reign and spell doom for humankind?
The year 2015 saw much tension, presenting the world with signs of change. Perhaps, the word "divergence" can best portray current international politics as confrontational factors are either emerging or reappearing.
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