Europe salutes the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China

October 1st marks the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. Radio86 rang up three distinguished officials from the Finnish, Danish and Swedish foreign ministries to hear what they had to say about China's progress over the past 60 years. Here come their greetings to the birthday celebrant:

Congratulations from Finland!

Mr. Pasi Rutanen, Former Ambassador of Finland to China, has been astounded by the incredible pace of China's development and its evolution into a major economic power on the global stage.

What do you think about China's development over the last six decades?

“China’s development has been extremely fast, of course, and one should actually visit China at least once a year to keep up with the pace of change. One of the most visible changes has taken place in the people themselves. The Chinese have become more open, and also, a new generation of Chinese youth has come forward. Young people in China today are internationally oriented, well-educated and highly ambitious. They compete in the job market as fiercely as their peers all over the world do. Every year, 20 million Chinese people travel abroad to study in world’s leading universities. And they have done so for quite some time already. What is interesting to see is that after receiving their education abroad, Chinese students are increasingly returning back to their homeland, bringing new ideas, values and creativity with them.”

“China’s development has reached a point where the nation has become integrated into the globalized world economy. China has now begun to shoulder responsibility for sustainable development both domestically and globally. One important change that sometimes goes unnoticed is the fact that China has begun to export high technology products and invest abroad. Domestically, China is increasingly encouraging people to start small and medium sized private businesses. These are some of the most visible changes in China. China’s political and economic system has also helped China to emerge from the global financial and economic crisis as a winner. China’s stimulus package, which equals to that of the United States, has helped China to become the first country in the world where economy is recovering from the crisis. ”

Where do China's future challenges lie?

Pasi Rutanen is a former Finnish ambassador to China. (Image: Radio86)“I think China's greatest challenges in the future include building social welfare, decreasing income disparities, fighting against corruption, and developing the education system, especially in the countryside.”

“We may also see China leading the way in the ongoing climate negotiations. Whether the climate conference in Copenhagen turns into a success depends very much on what China says about the environment and about the CO2 emissions.”

Would you like to send greetings to our Chinese readers?

“First of all, I would like to congratulate the People’s Republic of China on the past 60 years. If we think about the relations between China and Finland, my wish is that Finnish and Chinese experts could work more together in developing new technologies and innovations. The level of cooperation between Finnish and Chinese universities is already high. Taking it even further would be extremely important, and would especially benefit the young people in both countries.“

Greetings from the Swedish Foreign Ministry

According to Mr. Olof Ehrenkrona, Senior Advisor to the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, China's comprehensive reforms, initiated already in the 1970s, have played a significant role in helping China to achieve its current status as a global economic juggernaut.

What are your thoughts on China's situation today?

“That there has been amazing development over the last thirty years, since Deng Xiaoping set a new course in 1978. The first thirty years of China's modern history were difficult for many Chinese. The main themes during the last thirty years have been a new openness and development, which has led to China being in a significantly better situation today than people could ever have dreamed of thirty years ago.”

What kind of development has it taken for China to reach this point and what can it expect from the future?

“China's opening up to economic cooperation and development has of course been the crucial factor, and the new openness has led to a gradual increase in prosperity. China has assumed an important role in international trade and today it can be described as the factory of the world. Investors from Europe, Sweden and the USA are today present in China in a way that would have been impossible thirty years ago, but today it is an important reality in world economics.”

How about Sweden and China?

“Sweden and China have had very close ties, ever since the People's Republic was founded. Swedish enterprises are present in China to a great extent and our trade with China is substantial. We have gained much from China's development and we also hope that we have been able to contribute to China's development in all the ways that a significantly smaller country can do.”

What greetings would you like to send to our Chinese readers?

“Congratulations on the fantastic development so far. I hope that China will keep heading in the same direction and step by step gain its due status as a leader in world economics and global development. Overall, it is a great country with a great population. Congratulations from Sweden!”

Best wishes on behalf of the Danish Foreign Ministry!

Thursday's anniversary celebrations will outshine all previous ones. (Image: China News Service)In his interview, Mr. Jens Alsbirk from the Foreign Ministry in Denmark highlighted some major turning points in China's history, all of which have had a great bearing on the country's development.

“In the view of the Danish Foreign Ministry, the People's Republic has marched determinedly forward for the past 60 years. And its pace has picked up considerably since the reforms of 1978 and 79, in particular. We've also made note of this here at the Danish Foreign Ministry and strengthened our diplomatic presence in China massively. Today, we have a large embassy in Beijing and Consulate-Generals in Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. In addition, we also have an innovation center in Shanghai.”

“We attach great importance to out relations with China. China is becoming one of our most important trade partners. We have also engaged in comprehensive political cooperation and cultural exchange through the Danish Institute for Culture in Beijing. China is also becoming an increasingly popular travel and expatriate destination among the Danish population. At the same time, more and more Chinese are also coming to Denmark to both study and work, as well as for holidays.”

“I would like to congratulate China on the occasion of its 60th founding anniversary. We here in Denmark are sure that our relationship with China will grow even closer over the coming years in tandem with the Chinese reform process. We see massive opportunities for increased cooperation on all levels - not least commercially. We feel that China has a lot to celebrate today. We would also like to send our greetings to the many Danes living in China who are striving to develop their understanding of the Chinese culture. Greetings also to the many Chinese who know, not only H.C. Andersen and his famous children's stories, but also our own little country.”

Interviews by:
Janne Suokas, Fredrik Gjerde and Mads Schmidt.