To view China in post-Beijing Olympics era

Editor's note: Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao made an important address in Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea on Monday, or August 26, which was entitled "Deepening Cooperation for Mutual Benefit and Creating a Brilliant Future". Right after the close of Beijing's 2008 Summer Olympic Games, global public opinions give special attention to this speech of the Chinese leader and they hope that they would be briefed or enunciated more distinctly on the trend of Chinese diplomacy and China's role in the contemporary world.

To cope with this objective, People's Daily desk editor Lu Yansong has held a dialogue with some PD reporters accompanying the Chinese president on the current overseas trip and PD resident reporters in Russia, the United States and Belgium on the global reactions of Hu's address and to analyze a trend in China's internal and external policies following the recent Olympic Games.

Desk editor: the address President Hu Jintao delivered at a luncheon with ROK's four major economic groups, which was entitled "Deepening Cooperation for Mutual Benefit and Creating a Brilliant Future" has an vivid, ample connotation. It not only clearly indicate the direction for the substantial cooperation between China and the ROK but has summed up in a highly concentrated way the historic changes in the three decades of reform and opening to the outside world that have wrought to China and once again declared its resolve to continue opening itself to the world.

Reporter: Beijing's Olympic Games has attracted wide global attention and the top Chinese leader's first state visit and first address in the wake of the Games arrests more global attention. What most impressive is that ROK personalities at the luncheon expressed their heartfelt endorsement of Hu's statement that China would unswerving follow a path of peaceful development and a reciprocal win-win strategy in its opening-up process.

President Hu drew an enthusiastic applause when he said China will seek development based on peacefulness, opening up and cooperation, and that the Chinese people are willing to work hand-in-hand with other peoples to develop a harmonious world of lasting peace and shared prosperity." China's development over the past 30 years hinged on the reform and opening up and the nation's future development must also rely on the reform and opening up" – this remark of his is really impressive as it has enabled the people across the world to see the firm belief of the Chinese government in steering and commanding the direction for China's future development.

In term of the fast expanding Sino-ROK bilateral ties, it is also a typical case that China has worked to seek the mutual development with other countries in its process of opening itself to the outside world. The 16-year period following the forging of diplomatic ties between the two nations is precisely the 16 years in which China stepped up its tempo of reform and opening up.

The bilateral trade volume reached nearly 160 billion US dollars last year, a 32-fold increase compared with early days when the two countries established diplomatic relations. Last year, there were reportedly 6 million trips in the bilateral exchange of personnel and the two countries operated more than 800 daily roundtrip flights. Bilateral substantial cooperation has progressed so fast, and this is indeed rare in history, so People in ROK are really in favor of China's opening-up policy.

Desk editor: Viewing from television, figures in the ROK economic circle responded very enthusiastically to President Hu's speech. How ROK friends talked about their impressions on the speech during your coverage on the scene?

Reporter: President Hu's speech is penetrating and to the point, said Kwang Sok Ko, a senior executive director of the Korea International Trade Association said when he was interviewed. The tremendous successes China has scored ever since its reform and opening-up began 30 years ago, he said, can be rated as a "miracle" in human history. Noting that the road of China's own choice is very correct, he said that foreign firms have plucked up their confidence in making investments in China and more firms would hopefully come and invest in China as the nation has adhered to its opening-up approach. Moreover, the 2010 Shanghai World Expo will also provide a good pivot for China to spur its development, Kwang Sok Ko said.

The speech Lee Hee-Beom, the chairman and CEO of the KITA, gave at the luncheon had a wide representation. He congratulated China on its successful hosting of the Olympics 2008. "This is a success not only for China but for the whole of Asia," he said. He also voiced the conviction that there will be greater expansion in bilateral ties, and the goal of topping the bilateral trade volume of 200 billion US dollars in 2010 will certainly be attained, Lee said.

Desk editor: President Hu's address will undoubtedly provide a crucial basis for other nations to increase their understanding of China's stance or position in global affairs. It is precisely for this reason that experts and scholars from various countries have delved into this important address and offer their own explanations and expositions on it.

Reporter: the successful hosting of Beijing Olympics, which fully demonstrated China's strong overall national strength, has not only accorded extensive praises and acclamation globally, but deepened the nation's mutual understanding with the rest of the world, said Dr. Alexander Lukin, a prestigious professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, when he was interviewed by the PD resident reporter. So, he affirmed, China's communication and engagement with the outside world has begun to enter into a new phase of development.

When China, the most populous nation on earth, has taken a rapid-speed historical leap over the past 30 years, Dr. Lukin said, the fast growth in Chinese economy has propelled the development of the regional economy and played a growing vital role in maintaining the stability of the global economy. The practice has eloquently testified to the truth that China has chosen a correct path of development, and international community also hopes that the nation would play an even more active role in developing a harmonious world.

Desk editor: The media worldwide, while speaking highly of the success of Beijing's Olympics, have recently reached consensuses that the Games is sure to exert a far-reaching impact on China's modernization process. Then, could you inform us on mainstream opinions or view of the U.S. and European nations in this regard?

Reporter: Mainstream media in the U.S. on the whole maintain that Beijing's Olympics has propped up a global stage or platform to demonstrate China's national strength. The "Wall Street Journal" in an analytical article said China has turned increasingly more self-confident; the Associated Press reported that the Beijing Olympics has, since its opening ceremony, shown to the world both an ancient and modern China, and a China without any threat, and that China in years ahead will be even more open to the world, and the Olympic Games has taken a substantial, important step in this regard.

Dr. Cheng Li, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, Washington. D.C., acknowledged that what China had exhibited at its Olympic Games is the cultural prosperity and social progress, and brought hope to the world instead of concern or anxiety.

Reporter：To Stanley Crossick, the founding chairman of the European Policy Center in Brussels, an ace think tank in Europe, China's openness is beyond the imagination of many Westerners. The country has ultimately turned over an unexpected, satisfactory test paper to the world, though it had withstood immense pressures in the process of making preparations for the Olympic Games, he said. It has given an eloquent proof the broad-mindedness of the Chinese people, and also shown their nation's due image as a great nation.

Desk editor: With the irreversible trend of both multilateralism and economic globalization and the acceleration of science and technology revolution in an overall global situation, China's future will be increasingly linked with that of the world, President Hu Jintao is widely and repeatedly quoted as speaking to the Monday luncheon in Seoul. Facing the future, China will unswervingly follow a path of peaceful development and give scope to its vital constructive role in international affairs. This is precisely the strategic choice made by the Chinese government and people on the basis of a development trend of our epoch and in compliance with their own interests.

By People's Daily Online and contributed by Desk editor Lu Yansong, PD reporter Wu Qimin, PD resident reporter in ROK Mang Jiuchen, PD resident reporter in Russia Yu Hongjian, PD resident reporter in U.S. Ma Xiaoning, and PD resident reporter in Belgium Zhang Niansheng