When China, a country accounting for one-fifth of the world's population, chooses its own scientific way of development, it not only decides the future of the country, but also affects that of the world, says an article in People's Daily. The following is an excerpt:

In December, 29 years ago, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was held in Beijing. The meeting attracted the world's attention because China made a great decision to shift the priority of the Party's work to socialist modern construction and to implement reform and opening-up policies, which have ushered in a new era of prosperity.

The country has witnessed continuous high-speed growth of the economy; the enormous creative power of the people; the transformation of people's ideas and lifestyles; the lifting of people's living standards from having enough to eat and wear to moderate wealth.

But it does not mean that future development will be all smooth sailing. With China's economy starting to take off, it entered an accelerated process of industrialization and urbanization, which has also led to rising consumption of various resources.

We are faced with different kinds of problems like constraints on population, resources and environment, and an imbalance in the development of urban and rural areas.

During the key stage of China's growth, the scientific view on development was based on the important thoughts of three generations of leadership of the CPC.

It has answered the question of "for whom to develop" and "how to develop": from fast development to sound development, and to a combination of economic, political and cultural development to the including of social development. It not only clearly points to the historical road China has taken, but it has also actively responded to the pressing problems modern China is facing.

(China Daily 10/16/2007 page9)