White paper: China pursues a peaceful rise (Xinhua) Updated: 2005-12-22 10:39
The paper also listed many figures to illustrate the substantial achievements
made by the country in seeking a peaceful international environment, saying that
China's development has made positive contributions to world peace and
development.
The country's per capita GDP rose from less than 300 U.S. dollars in 1978 to
more than 1,400 dollars in 2004. It has created a miracle by feeding nearly 22
percent of the world's population on less than 10 percent of the world's arable
land.
The Chinese government has lifted 220 million people out of poverty, and has
provided minimum living allowances to 22.05 million urban residents and aid to
60 million disabled people, according to the paper.
"China cannot develop independently without the rest of the world. Likewise,
the world needs China if it is to attain prosperity," said the white paper.
In recent years, despite increasingly severe global economic fluctuations,
China's economy has maintained a stable and relatively fast growth, bringing
hope and a new driving force to world economic development.
Statistics released by the World Bank show that China's economic growth
contributed an average 13 percent to world economic growth from 2000 to 2004.
China imported 500 billion U.S. dollars worth of commodities annually during
the period from December 2001 to September 2005, which meant 10 million jobs for
the countries and regions concerned, according to the white paper.
In the next few years, it will import 600 billion dollars worth of goods
annually, and the amount will exceed 1 trillion dollars by 2010.
"Over the years, China has persisted in the policies of peace, development
and cooperation, and pursued an independent foreign policy of peace," said the
paper. "China has been playing a constructive role in, and making efforts to
attain the lofty goal of, building a harmonious world together with all other
countries."
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