By Wang Quanheng

Huang Quanheng was a former Diplomat at China's Embassy in Tanzania and a former Consul General at China's Consulate in Bombay from 1999 to 2002.

Over the past three decades, China's impact on international issues has grown considerably with its development. I am very proud of this change. I want to give you my own personal experience through three stories that explain how foreigners have changed their perceptions of China.

During a business trip in the mid-1970s, I toured Germany's former capital Bonn. A supermarket was a novelty for me back then, because there were none in China. Once when we went into a store, an assistant led us through to the back where clothes were piled up for sale at reduced prices. I felt hurt, but the truth was that at that time many Chinese abroad were known as bargain hunters. A Chinese diplomatic courier who lived on an eight-cent subsidy each day couldn't possibly afford fashion clothes in boutiques. At that time, our country swapped agricultural and marginal products for small but precious sums of foreign currency. Everyone had to be a "penny-pincher" because we were so poor.

Things have changed now. Countries around the world are trying hard to lure Chinese tourists who can contribute to boosting their economy. My embarrassing experience will not be repeated.

I had an even worse experience while waiting for a plane at Charles de Gaulle Airport. A European walked up to me, bowed to me, and asked whether I was Japanese. “I’m Chinese,” I replied. The man quietly murmured, “Well, there’s no chance of any business then.” And with that he walked away.

Although I felt disappointed and embarrassed at that moment, I was clear that our country had only minor trade with foreign countries in the 1970s, and there was absolutely nothing I could do to help.

Early in 1999 I went to Bombay, India. For historic reasons China had a very thorny relationship with India, and the Indians' complicated feelings for the Chinese were fraught with bitterness, resentment, and grudging envy.

I was therefore very surprised by the warmth of the welcome that awaited me in India. A local Chamber of Commerce invited me to make a speech on the development of China’s economy. This went down so well that it was followed by a succession of such speeches.

Those who were interested in seeking business opportunities in China asked me to talk about China's reform and opening-up policy. The volume of trade between China and India was worth US $1.8 billion in 1999, but this had soared to over US $5 billion by the time I left India in 2002.

These experiences - from Bonn, from Charles de Gaulle Airport, and from Bombay – capture the rise of a nation that the whole world now wants to know about and trade with. This huge change has been brought about by the reform and opening-up policy, and we should applaud it and take pride in it.

(Chin.org.cn translated by He Shan, December 10, 2008)