Positioning China in the new global pattern

The world is passing through a historical era in which the old world pattern is decaying and a new one is taking shape. Some nations are destined to decline over time. In the bipolar era of the Cold War the importance of the Soviet Union was indisputable as one of the poles. But today the significance of Russia cannot stand comparison with that of the former Soviet Union, even though Russia remains a powerful country.

Europe and the United States have been at the center of the world for an entire epoch, and for the past several centuries the world has been dominated by the West. But with the focus of international relations shifting from the Atlantic to the Pacific, Europe has declined in importance while still regarding itself in the light of its former position. This is why Europeans feel so frustrated. With 27 members, no common foreign policy, and no common defense policy, the European Union is badly placed to play a role in international relations affairs. The EU is aware of this weakness and for this reason, after the Treaty of Lisbon came into force, appointed Herman Van Rompuy as permanent President of the European Council (in effect the "EU President"), and Catherine Ashton as the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy (the "EU Foreign Minister"). But these two relatively unknown politicians may not have the necessary weight to play their roles effectively. Nonetheless, we must remember that the EU remains one of the strongest economic powers in the world. In 2008 it accounted for nearly 30 percent of the world's US$61 trillion GDP.

The fact that China emerged on the international scene so rapidly, to some extent caught us off-guard. Because of our lack of mental preparation, Chinese people need to take time to reflect on how the country should act now that it stands at center stage.

We must above all avoid any tendency to be arrogant or dismissive of other countries. That would be absolutely unacceptable. I have said in the past that the Chinese people need not fear catastrophe so much as becoming dizzy with success. Because of their difficult natural environment and history over thousands of years, the Chinese people have become accustomed to dealing with hardship, suffering and disaster. We have made some achievements, but historical experience tells us that a lack of humility is capable of clouding our judgment, while complacency can be the enemy of progress. With our reputation barely fashioned and still resting on shaky foundations, we need to maintain special vigilance.

China should provide public goods to the world

We need to adopt a global perspective as we step into the international arena. It would be beneficial for us to recall our mammoth project to help Tanzania build a railroad, undertaken under the leadership of Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai.

From October 1970 to July 1976, China spent 988 million yuan (about 150 million pounds) to help Tanzania build an 1850.5 mile railway. The project ate up more than a third of China's foreign exchange reserves. At the beginning of China's opening-up in 1978, some people criticized the project, saying Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou's decision was beyond China's capacity and reflected their inflated ambitions. Thirty years later, we can look back and evaluate this project with a calm and reasonable attitude. I think it was worth doing. Firstly, it had great international significance. After the railway was built, Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere said: "In the past, foreigners built railways here to steal our natural resources. But China did it to help develop Africa's economy." How well these words demonstrate the value of the project! Westerners were the earliest outsiders in Africa. They looted, oppressed and invaded the continent for centuries. China arrived much later. But we built an equal, win-win relationship of mutual respect with African countries. If we had not carried out the Tanzania project, would the world have been able to see the sharp contrast between old and new-style international relationships? Which model stands for the advanced and hopeful side in international relations? The answer is, without a doubt, the latter. The world is heading for a more advanced and brighter future. Wasn't it worth a third of our foreign exchange reserves to help bring this future about?

Sino-African relations represent an entirely new type of relationship between states. Its main features can be described as "equal, mutually respectful and mutually beneficial." It has taken the international community generations and several hundred years to develop such relationships. Africans understood the sincerity with which we undertook the Tanzania railway project and, when the opportunity arose, they helped us in return. Thus it was that we were able to restore our lawful place in United Nations at the 26th General Assembly on October 25, 1971. This marked a new phase in the development of China's diplomacy. In 1971 we had diplomatic relations with just 64 nations. Today the number is 171. This is vital for our successful opening-up. If we had failed to restore our UN seat in 1971, we would not have been able to open up to the world. Chairman Mao once said with genuine emotion: "We were carried into the UN by our African brothers and sisters." The UN held a special meeting at which 50 nations made speeches welcoming China. Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou's masterpiece of diplomacy is well worth pondering even today.