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by Rajah Kuruppu, Vice-President, Sri Lanka China Society

I have had the good fortune to visit the People's Republic of China on five occasions between December 1979 and August 2001. On two of these visits, in May/June 1987 and August 2001, I led delegations of the Sri Lanka China Society established in 1981 in Colombo to promote friendship and good relations between the people of the two countries.

During these two visits we were able to see several cities and places of interest in China. On both occasions we were the guests of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), founded in May, 1954, to enhance mutual understanding and friendship, promote exchanges and co-operation in the political, economic, trade, scientific and technological, social, cultural, educational and other fields between the people of China and other countries. It establishes links and carries out exchanges with friendly organisations and personages of various countries.

On my first visit to China in 1979 I represented Sri Lanka at the World Food Production Conference sponsored by the International Minerals Corporation of the USA, held in Hong Kong (then not a part of China) and the delegates were taken by train from that city to Canton (now Guangzhou) in China. The other two visits were to attend a another World Food Production Conference in Beijing in September 1985 and the annual sessions of the Economic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in the same city in April 1992.

The vast strides made by China in the field of material progress and modernisation is strikingly evident in the intervening years between the first visit in 1979 and the last in 2001. On the former occasion although we were guests of the International Minerals Corporation, one of the commercial giants of the USA, we were provided modest accommodation with two delegates sharing a room - an indication of the standards of hotels at that time and the limited availability of accommodation.

High rise buildings were few. On my last tour of China we were accommodated mostly in Five Star hotels with all the comforts that developed western countries offer or more. Outstanding were the Beijing International Hotel with a revolving restaurant at the top of the building, the White Swan Hotel on the banks of the Peral river in Guanghou and the International Conference Hotel in Zhuhai with 550 rooms to the deep south of China. When we were in large cities in China such as Beijing, Guangzchou and Zhuhai in the recent tour and in Shenshen and Shanghai during the visits in 1987 and 1992 we felt we were in the Western developed world.

The contrast in infrastructure facilities at the Stone Forest, a tourist attraction near the mid-country city of Kumming is significant. On the first visit to this site in 1987 the access road was modest with few shops in the vicinity and no visible hotels. However, on the second visit to the Stone Forest in 2001 the access road was broad and rubberised with beautiful flowering trees on either sides. There were several hotels around so that tourists could stay close to the site. In fact, we had lunch at a hotel adjacent to the Stone Forest.

Action has also been taken in recent years to develop new tourist attractions. We were taken to the Safari Park in the outskirts of Guangzhou where different animals live together uncaged. Thus, one is able to watch them in the open in a fairly natural environment although the perimeter of the park is enclosed.

Social development

There has been a marked change in the dress of the people. In 1979 men and women in general wore the standard Mao suits. Over the years it has changed radically and today there is comforting variety in attire and women often sport colourful clothes.

The standard of English has also substantially increased over these two decades. Earlier only a few were able to speak this international language and that too not fluently. Still, we observed even at that time those who came into contact with foreigners, such as hotel staff, making a great effort to develop their competence of the language. Today, a good number of Chinese are fluent in English and modern facilities such as the electronic portable dictionary is utilized to advance the knowledge of this language.

Cell phones are popular in China today and coach drivers are often summoned using this facility in congested cities where parking is difficult.

Despite numerous changes in China over the last two decades, some features have remained firm. The emphasis and encouragement of physical exercise for good health remains undiminished. In the late 1970's most people did their exercises in the open as groups together. Today it is undertaken indoors by many, benefiting perhaps from instructions given on T.V. with the rapid increase of families with access to the electronic media. The benefits to the country by its people undertaking physical exercise on a regular basis is noteworthy. It reduces the national health expenditure, improves the health and life expectancy of the population and enhances the productivity of the workforce. In contrast, the State encouragement in Sri Lanka for regular exercise by the ordinary people is negligible.

Considering the changes in lifestyles taking place all over the world, the importance of propagating the value of exercise and the provision of facilities for that purpose cannot be over-emphasised.

The respect and care for the elders, a tradition among the Chinese in all parts of the world, also do not appear to have declined in the recent past.

Material development

Economic development in China has been tremendous over the last two decades. The GNP growth has been over 10% per annum during most of these years. In fact a deliberate effort was made to reduce GNP growth in the recent past anticipating the adverse consequences of over heating of the economy and the growth is now around 7.5%.

Moreover, there is the feel good factor in China. Those who visit China could almost physically experience the development in that country and observe that the nation is on the forward march. This is also felt by the people of China. One may not be quite satisfied with statistics, especially of an official nature. But the feel good factor measures the psychological satisfaction of the people and their optimism or pessimism for the future both within and without the country.

Recognizing the vast economic progress realised by China and its capital, Beijing, their rapid infrastrcutre development and the capacity of the State to achieve laid down targets, the National Olympic Committee has decided that Bejing should host the Olympics of 2008. Possible problems regarding logistics and environment were identified but the National Olympic Committee was satisfied that a strong and committed Government could overcome them effectively.

New policies

China proposes to make the 2008 event a high technology Olympics with the use of modern technology in communications, information, energy and water conservation, and the design of sports venues.

The year 1978 is a watershed in the recent history of China.

That was the year that the great leader of modern China, Deng Xio Ping, introduced a new policy to modernise the country by opening it to the world and adopting free enterprise and individual initiative to accelerate development.

The new policy significantly modified the earlier system of Socialist egalitarian values and common ownership of property. Certain areas of China such as the eastern coast and the southern parts with greater potential for growth were provided with exceptional facilities for accelerated development. Similarly, individuals with initiative and drive were permitted or even encouraged to get ahead of others.

Thus, began the incredible development of these areas of China which included the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shensen and Zhuhai, the latter two free trade zones. Our recent delegation to China was fortunate to visit Zhuhai, a fishing village 20 years ago, but today a flourishing free trade zone with excellent infrastructure facilities.

This policy envisages that those areas and individuals that get ahead would later help others lagging behind to advance. Already the Guangdong Province in southern China is giving a helping hand to some neighbouring Provinces to accelerate their economic progress.

China has its problems. Serious regional disparities in economic conditions exist and wide variations in individual income distribution are almost equal to USA and exceed those in several countries of Europe. The annual per capita income in China is about U.S.$ 800 whereas in Guangzhou city it is U.S.$ 4,700. These, however, are being recognised and action is being taken to gradually overcome them.

A significant feature of State policy is to take prompt action and deal with problems early without permitting them to fester when their eradication becomes more difficult. Thus, when there is restlessness among certain minority communities concentrated in the north-western region of the country the response of the State is two fold: Firmness in dealing with dissidents and measures to overcome the causes of dissatisfaction after serious study.

Pragmatism

Pragmatic policies pursued by the Chinese under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping since 1978 has succeeded in securing immediate gains in economic advancement and modernisation.

Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of modern Singapore and now Senior Minister, remembers Deng Xiaoping in his latest book "From Third World to First, The Singapore Story: 1965-2000" as "a 5 footer but a giant among men."

Sri Lanka as an Asian nation with excellent relations with China for a long period of time, whatever the Government that was in office, could be proud of another friendly Asian country emerging as an economic giant of the world.

We wish China all success in its future endeavour and may the excellent relations between the Governments and peoples of the two nations further flourish in the years to come.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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