China is taking a major step towards economic globalization as negotiations for China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) have entered the final stage, with China's last negotiations with Mexico, one of its major trade partners, still going on.
At the same time, the Chinese government has listed the opening of sectors, such as telecommunications, tourism and finance, as the core of economic globalization.
Recalling history, however, China encountered its frustrating process of integration with the world 100 years ago. At that time, the government of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), which had been implementing a close-door policy, was forced to open the door to the world by western imperialists. Jiang Yanfu, a historian, wrote in his book, "Modern History of China", "that since the 1840 Opium Wars, the western imperialists' invasion and plunder of China had turned the country into a semi- colonial one," adding that "they declined to give us equal treatment." However, western learning had offered inspiration for China's democratic revolution at the beginning of this century. Many veteran leaders of the Chinese Communist Party had studied in France and other countries when they were young. When Mao Zedong, leader of the first generation of new China, declared the founding of new China in 1949, the world was experiencing the Cold War.
At that time, the major diplomatic partners of China were the former Soviet Union and East European countries. However, Mao Zedong examined western civilization and persisted in the study of English at an old age. Deng Xiaoping, chief designer of China's opening-up and reform drive, pointed out in 1979 that "so long as China seeks development and expects to get rid of poverty, China must open its door to the outside world."
Initiated by Deng Xiaoping, the first group of special economic zones in the coastal cities of Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Xiamen were established.
Niu Dayong, professor of Beijing University's History Department, said that China's goal of being a part of economic globalization has become feasible since 1978. He said, since the 1990s, China has quickened its opening-up and reform and adopted more flexible policies. So far, over half of the world's top 500 companies have established solely-funded and jointly-run enterprises or representative offices in China. The volume of direct foreign investment in China has reached US$450 billion.
China has been also experiencing its largest ever technological and personnel exchanges with other countries in the past 20 years during which China sent nearly 300, 000 people abroad to further studies and invited 250,000 foreign experts and students to China. China's introduction of advanced foreign technology, facilities and expertise has also exerted impact on exchanges in culture and other fields.
China has been opening wider to the outside world in political, economic and social sectors, building up the national strength and growing into an important partner in the international community. China has also been playing an important role in international and regional organizations, such as the World Bank and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
In other fields, such as human rights, China has been positively seeking dialogue and mutual understanding with the international community.
Mary Robinson, UN high commissioner for Human Rights, described the memorandum of understanding on the Development and Implementation of Human Rights Technical Cooperation Programs signed recently between China and the UN agency as a "milestone in China's development of its human rights programs".
China also joined a number of regional multilateral cooperation funds. So far, China has offered a total of 84.8 billion yuan (US$10.2 billion) in free-interest loans or assistance to 131 countries. In October this year, China promised to reduce or cancel 10 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion) in debts of African countries, in a bid to push ahead Sino-African cooperation in economic and social development. Michael Deaver, a member of the brain trust of US ex-president Ronald Reagan, has paid several visits to China. He said during his recent China tour that China has taken great leaps forward every three to five years during its past 20 years of opening-up and reform.
At the turn of the century, the application of modern information technology strengthened the ties between the Chinese people and the outside world. The number of Internet surfers in China is over 17 million and the number is expected to double every six months. Contact with the world has become an indispensable part in the daily life of many Chinese people. In 2001, China's leading industrial city of Shanghai is to host the ninth informal meeting of the APEC leaders.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin said at the APEC summit meeting held in Brunei three weeks ago that "China will open wider to the outside world while stepping into the new millennium. China is to enter a new stage of opening-up with its entry into the WTO."
(People's Daily 12/03/2000)
