--By He Zhongpei Deputy Dean of the Research Center of International Sinology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Abstract

Over 30 years have flown since China adopted the reform and opening up policies, and China has achieved marvelous economic success, witnessing a gush of expansion especially in the 21st century. In 2005, when the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis broke out which led to a global financial crisis, China rose to the sixth biggest economy in the world, with its GDP surpassing Italy. In 2006, China replaced Britain as the world's fourth biggest economy following the U.S., Japan, and Germany. In October 2008, the European debt crisis emerged, and soon affected a number of Eurozone countries, leaving the euro in crisis. But at that time, China's economy was still surging, and overtook Germany in 2007 as the third biggest economy. In 2010, China surpassed Japan as the world's second biggest economy. Some international research institutes predict that it will not be too long for China to catch up with or even overtake America.

China's fast economic growth has brought unprecedented prosperity over the past century. The dream of national revival is gradually becoming reality. At this juncture, we must keep clear-minded. The national revival is not only about economic prosperity and development but also the modern culture building and the overall quality improvement of the Chinese nation.

Now the world economy is integrated. China's efforts to achieve national revival have brought about huge economic, social and cultural changes at home, and at the same have been affecting the neighboring countries as well as Asia and the whole world. Self-discipline, tolerance and mutual respect are vital for building a strong and prosperous state, image building and winning respect in the world. In other words, we should keep a balance between increasing hard power such as economic development and national strength enhancement, and soft power strengthening such as pushing forward global civilizations and building a harmonious world.

We still have a long way to go.

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