Liu Xiaoming: Extending the hand of lasting friendship(1)
Understanding each other's heritage will lead to a profitable partnership for China and Scotland
SCOTTISH inventors have made extraordinary contributions to human progress. Chinese students learn about this in their textbooks: James Watt with the steam engine; Alexander Fleming and penicillin; Alexander Graham Bell and the telephone and John LogADVERTISEMENTie Baird with television. Scotland is indeed blessed with abundant resources and ingenious people.
This week will be my third visit to Scotland since I became Chinese ambassador to Britain just over a year ago. I have admired the Highlands, the home of golf, whisky, bagpipes and kilts. But I respect how Scotland does not just rely on its beauty and heritage. I know it is home to a large number of vibrant businesses and world-class universities. These have given birth to many inventions and insights.
More than 200 years ago, another great Scot, Adam Smith, gave the world the insight of his theories of the market economy and free trade. These are of huge global relevance today. The core of free trade is mutual benefit. Today mutual benefit, too, is why China and Scotland are engaged in co-operation.
The strength of co-operation is seen with top-level visitors such as vice-premier Li Keqiang, vice-premier Wang Qishan and state councillor Dai Bingguo. First Minister Alex Salmond is planning his third visit to China. Scotland's leaders see China's development as an opportunity and this comes in clear public statements of strategy. In turn, China maintains a Consulate General in Edinburgh as a measure of commitment to Scotland.
I was with vice-premier Li when he visited Scotland early this year. I was impressed by the profound friendship of the Scottish people. I felt the very keen interest of the Scottish Government and business leaders. But we should be aware that British society as a whole is yet to really understand China. There is a need for wider and deeper understanding. There is a need to get rid of stereotypes about China. Premier Wen Jiabao reflected on this need when he visited Britain in late June. "Countries should respect the history of each other and the creation of their peoples, if they are to build a foundation for lasting friendship," he said.
China is making what we describe as all-round development in the economic, political, social, cultural and environmental fields. It is sad that some people in the West fail to see this point. They tend to criticise China for focusing solely on economic growth while neglecting social progress.
Those critics say China is only carrying out economic reform, not political reform. This is a complete misreading of China's comprehensive reform and development.
Political reform has come with economic reform every step of the way in the past three decades. We have seen the growing role of the National People's Congress and multi-party political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party:
• DADVERTISEMENTemocratic decision-making and the legal system have been strengthened.
• More than 200 laws were formulated to change the millennium-old pattern of "rule by man" to the "rule of law".
• Life-long tenures of leadership positions are a thing of the past.
• Competitive appointments with public consultation are becoming the norm.
• Respect for and promotion of human rights has been written into the Chinese Constitution.
• The government of China is committed to putting people first as it runs the country. This makes sure that the people enjoy unprecedented rights and freedoms. Wen told British media it is important to learn about each others' history and cultures. A key step is to grasp that China is both new and old. The Chinese people have a history of 5,000 years that adds up to the world's longest continuous civilisation. I hope Scottish children can learn about inventors in China like Chinese students do about Scotland's inventors. Jumping to modern times, it is during the past 32 years that China has managed tremendous changes and achievements:
• We have found a way of development suited to our national conditions.
• We have come up with a development theory tailored to the Chinese reality.
• We have put in place a social system with Chinese characteristics.
• And China is steadily moving towards prosperity and happiness for its people.
