Facing China: An Analysis of Contemporary China's Difficult Issues

Author: Fan Xichun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: The world situation is undergoing profound changes. The era of multipolar international political structures and economic globalization has arrived. China, as one of the world's largest developing countries, has made significant progress and remarkable achievements in the past decade. At the same time, researching China's difficult issues and proposing corresponding solutions has become a highly practical and essential topic for discussion. China is moving toward a modernized nation that achieves unified progress in economic prosperity, political democracy, and spiritual civilization, with comprehensive development for society and individuals. In particular, in 2001, the successful bid for the Olympics, the successful hosting of the APEC Shanghai Meeting, and China's entry into the World Trade Organization greatly boosted the patriotic enthusiasm of the Chinese people. Amidst a global economic downturn, China maintained a growth rate of over 7%, earning praise from international media as the "single bright spot." However, this does not diminish our awareness of the challenges we face. Yes, we have advantages—political stability, a large pool of affordable skilled labor, and a vast market of over a billion people. But it cannot be denied that China's economic foundation remains underdeveloped, its ecological environment is fragile, and the technological content of its products is still low. We need to export 8 million pairs of shoes to earn back a new Boeing 737! Today, China still faces numerous difficulties, especially after joining the World Trade Organization, when the challenges it confronts have become even more prominent. We often say that opportunities and challenges coexist; in China's case, these challenges are particularly severe. For example, how can we comprehensively enhance the international competitiveness of our enterprises to meet the challenges of economic globalization? How can we achieve sustainable development under the condition of relatively scarce resources? How can we improve the overall quality of the national population to transform the heavy burden of our large population into a vast labor resource as soon as possible.