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."