OPINION> Commentary
Time for China to rise to the occasion
By Jorgen Lindgren Hansen (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-16 07:40

This week marks my 17th visit to China since 2001, when I came on behalf of Scandinavian television.

Since my last visit to Beijing for the Olympic Games, the world has seen tremendous change. In just a few months, the lingering energy of the Games gave way to fear and anxiety about the global economy. The situation in the West appears grim with crashing stock markets, staggering unemployment rates and other manifestations of the global economic crisis.

From the different vantage points offered by my work travels, only one place remains mostly unshaken in the economic storm - China. As a parent to an 8-year-old son, I am investing his future in China by enrolling him in Chinese language classes. Because of my son's cultural background, he is already fluent in four languages: French and English because he lives in Paris, Danish because of my heritage and German because of my wife's heritage.

Although I will never be able to gain proficiency in Chinese in my lifetime, my young son's nimble mind can quickly absorb this beautiful but challenging language. By the time he turns the corner on adulthood in 2020, he will be equipped with the language skills and knowledge to effectively understand China, the new world leader, which will be crucial to his success regardless of his chosen career path. While millions of Chinese people expend boundless energy and resources on learning English, China should confidently push for the globalization of its language and culture instead of purely adopting foreign standards.

The latest G-20 Summit in London offered both a reminder and a retreat from the unpleasant reality of the crisis. Although as ordinary citizens, we lack access to the exact content of the talks, we are for some reason drawn to images of world leaders standing next to one another, grinning ear to ear.

Perhaps it comforts us to see our leaders relaxed and confident despite troubled times. Moreover, I noticed a physical and symbolic transformation since China chaired the summit in 2005. In its depictions of the event, the international press focused mostly on Barack Obama and Hu Jintao, two leaders whose confident body postures responded to the adoration of the cameras. While the new American president radiated his star power, Hu Jintao's comfortable body language subtly conveyed China's maturation as a major economic power.

The current crisis offers China the opportunity to assume global leadership in the true sense of the idea. With its astounding growth, China will undoubtedly lead the world economically. But if we refer to history and examine nations that previously held leading positions, we can see that they inspired other nations through more subliminal ways.

In the past, French culture and lifestyle intrigued and attracted a loyal following during the height of France's economic success. Similarly, citizens of other countries not only look to the United States for its wealth but also for its promise of the American Dream. As China assumes this position, what will it offer to the world? What is the Chinese "spirit"?

As demonstrated by the Olympics, shared cultural traditions such as sports have the power to unite. So to borrow from the language of sports, China needs to willingly and proudly "wear the yellow jersey". In this position, similar to Tour de France champions, China would make itself the conspicuous leader of the pack, a position of power and vulnerability. To be sure, China would make itself more open to attacks and criticism, but it would also have the authority to set the pace and direction for its followers.

Efforts appear to be under way in certain aspects, but China's direction remains unclear. For example, I was pleased to read in the April 7 edition of China Daily that the Chinese government just unveiled a new universal healthcare plan.

According to the article, China would create a basic healthcare system providing "safe, effective, convenient and affordable" health services for urban and rural residents by 2020. Under this plan, China expects to build 2,000 county-level hospitals. Such a number boggles my mind as I witness the quality of French healthcare decline year after year. Will China offer to the world the first large-scale healthcare system true to its socialist foundation?

In the area of industry, Chinese carmakers are leading the way in engineering and marketing electric vehicles. While American carmakers, once the vanguard, are now struggling just to maintain their livelihood, China vies to revolutionize the auto industry toward greener solutions. Will China offer to the world a model for sustainable development?

I do not have the answers to the complex issues faced by this country, but I see immense potential in China to devise innovative solutions for the future, not only for itself but for the world. As China prepares to take the helm of power, it must assume different types of responsibilities, not just economic ones. I find it tremendously exciting that China has the freedom to shape its identity at this important juncture in time. Given its rich historical and cultural offerings, China could set a new bar in areas of education and ethics. Moreover, it would make sense for China to take more initiative in UNESCO, the cultural branch of the UN.

My appeal to China for improvements arises from respect. I praise China for its success and support its aspirations to become the global leader of tomorrow. Just in the last year, China swiftly and effectively handled the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake and the tainted milk scandal. Through these cases of adept governing, we can see that China is capable of addressing the needs of its citizens and inspiring them.

I call on China to inspire on a global scale.

The author is a media consultant and lives in Paris.

(China Daily 04/16/2009 page9)