亚洲人成网站18禁止中文字幕,国产毛片视频在线看,韩国18禁无码免费网站,国产一级无码视频,偷拍精品视频一区二区三区,国产亚洲成年网址在线观看,国产一区av在线

 

China still needs time to develop

By Michele Geraci
0 CommentsPrint E-mail China Daily, May 25, 2010
Adjust font size:

In addition, foreigners' view of China tends to be distorted because of a number of reasons, including different values and cultural backgrounds, the tendency of Western media to promptly highlight negative events over achievements and, ultimately, the fact that most of the influential foreigners residing in China tend to live within the comforts of the expatriate communities in Beijing or Shanghai. Over time, many of them fall into the trap of believing that the glamour they witness in Chaoyang district of Beijing is representative of the whole of China.

I have had the opportunity, during the last year and half, to travel extensively across the country, clocking more than 100,000 km by train, buses and cars. I have visited several tier 2 and 3 cities and have spent considerable time in remote villages. I have seen and talked with people belonging to various strata, from business travelers to migrant workers, families, young people driving expensive cars and more conservative representatives of the older, more traditional, generation.

Far from being a scientific or comprehensive analysis, my feeling is that most of the Chinese people still live under tough economic conditions and have to endure daily hardship. Farmers still toil in the fields performing manual work or using old machinery; the profits from one mu (1/15th of a hectare) of land is about 1,500 yuan a year - not surprisingly many wish to migrate to cities.

Living conditions remain very basic and access to higher education or health services is, sometimes, difficult. Infrastructure is developing very fast, but most of the new facilities remain beyond the means of the average citizen. While the southern provinces enjoy a more pleasant natural environment, the same cannot be said of the western and northwestern provinces, where climate is harsher and natural beauty less easily seen.

Notwithstanding these issues, I have also seen a great sense of hope and pride, even among people performing most humble jobs, something that has been lost in Europe. Sending a child to a better school and giving it the chance of a better future is already a great reward for parents, even if they still continue to plough fields day after day. The word "endure" is often heard in conversations.

It is in this backdrop of "two Chinas" that we, as foreigners, need to comprehend this diverse and vast country. While it is auspicial that, over time, China will take a more active role in international affairs - as it is indeed already doing - I believe it is right that it continues to focus its efforts on improving living conditions for its own people first. We need to be patient with China, engage it in debates, but respect the speed at which it chooses to take certain actions, without imposing our own thinking, or worse, advance undue requests.

Given the still ongoing uncertainties in the financial systems and the issues that the European Union and the euro face today, we may, perhaps need just another friendly helping hand to solve our own problems.

The author is head of China Program at the Global Policy Institute of London Metropolitan University and visiting scholar at Zhejiang University.

   Previous   1   2  


Print E-mail Bookmark and Share

Go to Forum >>0 Comments

No comments.

Add your comments...

  • User Name Required
  • Your Comment
  • Racist, abusive and off-topic comments may be removed by the moderator.
Send your storiesGet more from China.org.cnMobileRSSNewsletter
    1. <ul id="556nl"><kbd id="556nl"><form id="556nl"></form></kbd></ul>
      <thead id="556nl"></thead>

      1. <em id="556nl"><tt id="556nl"></tt></em>
        <ul id="556nl"><kbd id="556nl"><form id="556nl"></form></kbd></ul>

        <ul id="556nl"><small id="556nl"></small></ul>
        1. <thead id="556nl"></thead>

          亚洲人成网站18禁止中文字幕,国产毛片视频在线看,韩国18禁无码免费网站,国产一级无码视频,偷拍精品视频一区二区三区,国产亚洲成年网址在线观看,国产一区av在线 人妻无码久久影视 日韩久久久久久久久久久久 精品国产香蕉伊思人在线 无码国产手机在线a√片无灬 91在线视频无码