Quantity, quality of growth remain strong
What is your impression Secretary Xi Jinping? of General
He has shown himself to be capable through the development of timely policies, which is important. But this has increased his responsibilities. His Belt and Road Initiative is bold, and he is highly respected. What do you think is the significance of the congress?
It’s important because of China’s specific global role, and the magnitude of the changes it has made and will make in the world. The world is at a crossroads. But we have to take note of China’s great achievements and decide what the future obstacles will be. What do you feel has been China’s biggest achievement in the past five years?
The greatest achievement, which has surprised everybody, is the growth in terms of both quality and quantity in China. For a few years, people have been saying China is in decline. But we are still seeing what is referred to as normal growth, of between 6 and 7 percent. So I say this is really quantity. In terms of quality, there are two important issues. First, China has put a tremendous amount of effort into environmental protection, and second, it has been waging a radical fight against corruption. This has improved the quality of economic output. Why are you so interested in China’s growing environmental awareness?
When I was the president of the European Commission, I was pushing the Kyoto Protocol, which was the first global effort to improve the world environment. With Xi pushing the Paris Agreement in 2015, it was, for me, a great achievement. China was among the first group of countries to sign and ratify the agreement. Now, the United States seems to be against it, but China is still in it. It is important not only for China, but for all of us. What challenges does China face?
There are still some big challenges. The first is the governance of Stateowned enterprises, which need modernization and improvement, and the second is the country’s banking system. Are you still confident about China-EU relations?
Better relations between China and the European Union are a necessity and priority for globalization. This is because many European countries are different from one another. If Chinese companies want low-cost production, they can go to Romania; if they want high-quality, advanced agricultural products, they can go to Swiss companies. You have far more choices than you do in the United States.