V-3 Question: Recently, a media blitz in the West has asserted that China has become a developed country, and should thus be treated as one. How does the Chinese Government see this? How far is China from a developed country? What is the gap between China and developed countries?

A: China looks somewhat like a developed country, if we only look at the aggregate GDP level rather than per-capita GDP, whereas per-capita GDP is a better indicator of living standards than GDP.

Data from China Modernization Strategic Study Group shows that China's modernization score is 33, ranking 62 among 108 countries. China is below the world average and is still a developing country. In six of the 84 measurements, that is, longevity, infant mortality rate, literacy, telephone and TV ownership, the number of doctors per thousand residents, China has reached the level of medium developed countries, while in many of the remaining measurements, China is still below the world average.

Another gap between China and developed countries is in scientific and technical innovation. China still trails behind in hi-tech industry and in core competitiveness. Twelve international innovativeness measurements show that in 2001, China ranked 28th among 49 major countries (whose GDP accounted for 92 percent of the world total). This indicates that to become a developed country, China has to improve living standards, and strengthen national competitiveness.

It is predicted that China will become a preliminary developed country by 2020, medium developed country by 2050, and a developed country by 2100.

(China.org.cn)