The current situation in China is very good as demonstrated, among others, by the rapid growth of the national economy. This year, the GDP is expected to grow by about nine percent while inflation has been brought under effective control. China is now opening wider to the outside world and, as the investment environment continues to improve, the number of overseas investors already exceeds 290,000. The total amount of foreign capital actually used by China has topped 200 billion U.S. dollars, making it the second largest country in attracting overseas investment. China now enjoys social stability with all-round progress in its social undertakings.
Many foreign friends see China as becoming one of the most dynamic regions in the world.
Despite our impressive performance, as the biggest developing country in the world, we are still faced with a multitude of difficulties and challenges which call for continued efforts. The one hundred years between the middle of the nineteenth century and the middle of the twentieth century began with the Chinese people suffering from humiliation and bullying and ended with their achieving national independence and liberation after strenuous struggles. The one hundred years from the middle of this century to the middle of the next century began with the birth of New China and will end, as we will see, with the Chinese people succeeding, through hard work, in building a strong and prosperous country, achieving national rejuvenation and securing a happy life for themselves. Such are the earth-shaking changes and gigantic historic progress that China has witnessed and is about to witness in these two centuries. Respecting man's dignity and value is a time-honored virtue of the Chinese people.