| Opening
up brings about prosperity in China (11/12/2002)
For 56-year-old Chen, an ordinary woman in west Beijing, the past
two years have been a period full of jubilance: One daughter bought
a 120-square-meter apartment, which is well above the average level
for a Chinese family, and another got married to a German working
in the Chinese capital.
"I never thought of such things as marrying a foreigner and
buying something with money borrowed from banks when I was young,
" Chen said. "I still feel like I'm dreaming."
What has happened in Chen's family is an example showing that Chinese
people become more open both in ideas and in lifestyles as they
are getting better-off.
The change, analysts say, is attributed to economic and social
prosperity resulting from the nation's reform and opening up policies
during the past two decades.
"Here we have real neighbors and friends," says Adum
Lajoie, a 26-year-old American, who, together with more than 50
foreigners, lives in Ju'er Hutong in downtown Beijing.
At the entrance of Ju'er Hutong there is a covered area where foreigners
often drink tea and chat with groceries bosses and bike repairmen.
"We don't consider foreigners strange, and they are quite
easy- going," a grocer there says, noting he has been impressed
by the foreign friends' vitality and politeness.
More stories about China's opening up have happen not only in daily
life, but also in trade, economic and many other fields across the
country.
In response to the new situation of economic globalization and
China's entry into the World Trade Organization last year, the state
has pledged to do a better job in opening up by "bringing in
" and "going out".
"China should take part in international economic and technological
cooperation and competition on a broader scale, in more spheres
and on a higher level," Jiang Zemin said in his report to the
16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
The state is pushing forward readjustment in relevant policies
to fulfill the commitments it made when joining the WTO. Overseas
investors have been allowed access to the finance, insurance and
telecommunications sectors, which were once closed to them.
As part of the efforts to develop an open economy, an increasing
number of provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions have
sent local officials abroad to take training courses in such areas
as economics and management.
To better prepare themselves for exchanges with the outside world,
Chinese people are more enthusiastic than ever before in learning
foreign languages.
"China has become the largest market for English teaching
in the world. The people's enthusiasm for learning English is amazing,
" said Robert Diyanni, an official with the College Board of
the United States, while attending the 2002 International Education
Cooperation Week here in September.
Analysts say China has shown great confidence in opening up for
the past two decades and is set to open its door wider to the outside
world.
(xinhua)
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