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Since the reform and opening up of China more than 30 years ago, the country has been actively involved in the world economy. China has become the biggest beneficiary of economic globalization and has rapidly grown to become the second largest trader (climbing from its original position of 29th place). China will soon overtake the United States to become the world’s No. 1 importer and exporter and the bellwether of economic integration and trade liberalization, playing a significant role in the global economic system.

Fifty years ago, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out prophetically, “The next fifty (2012) or hundred years (2062) from now will be an epic period of fundamental change in the social system of the world, an earth-shaking period, with which no past era can be compared.… Living in such a period, we must be prepared to carry out great struggles, differing in many respects from the forms of struggle of previous periods” (Mao Zedong 1999a). Three earth-shattering events then took place in China in the latter half of the twentieth century and these changes exceeded any previous historical events. The first significant event was the founding of a New China. The Chinese people stood up and a socialist system was established, with the people becoming the masters of their country for the first time in history. The second major event was the establishment of an independent and complete industrial system and a national economic system in 1949–1978. This paved the way institutionally, in human resources and industries, for the subsequent reform and opening up of China. The third major event was the reform and opening up after 1978, which fully realized China’s productivity, offering China’s people a better standard of living.

Since the beginning of human civilization, “equality for all and common prosperity” has been either the utopian dream of philosophers and poets or the grandiose rhetoric of politicians. However, the reality is quite different: “Behind the vermilion gates of the rich, meat and wine go to waste, but along the road are bones of the poor who have frozen to death” (a Chinese proverb). It has always been the case that “some families are joyful and some sad.” There exists an insurmountable divide among mankind; this stems from family background, region, and social status, and it is true both now and in ancient times, in China and other countries.

International competition has become fiercer with the onset of the twenty-first century. The essence of this competition lies in the area of science and technology. Whoever scales the peak of global science and technology innovation will become the leader in global economic development. China is now becoming a forerunner in such areas. In 2006, the Chinese government published the “Outlined Medium- and Long-Term Program for Scientific and Technological Development (2006–2020)”, drawing a grand blueprint for building an innovative country. The United States, Japan and the EU have since followed with similar directive documents regarding developments in science and technology.

“The people, and the people alone, are the motive force in the making of world history” (Mao Zedong 1991). ‘The people’ refers to both Chinese people and the people of the world. These people are the real heroes; they have created both Chinese and world history. These are our elementary views and perspectives concerning China and the rest of the world, encompassing our dialectical and historical materialism.

The New China of the 1950s, not long after it was founded, was a backward, despised and wretched country. It was one of the poorest and most undeveloped countries in the world. It was at that time that Mao Zedong proudly told the delegates of the 8th National Party Congress

This paper introduces the experiences and models of land resources use in China. They are: (1) to protect farmland is as the basic state policy: (2) to carry out land resources survey and land use planning; (3) establishing a resource-saving agricultural production system with land saving as its priority; (4) to develop agriculture in the whole territory and explore food resources; (5) improving eco-environment and protecting land resources; (6) population control and moderate consumption to release the pressure on land resources; (7) the integrated development and experiment of the typical regions.

Sustainable development requires an open economy, and free trade is a basic condition for an open economy. This is true for all countries and regions. Free trade has become one of the most significant trends in world development. Currently, among 206 countries and regions in the world, 107 have signed free trade agreements (FTA) with other countries and regions.

The authors use a growth accounting framework to examine growth of the rapidly developing Chinese economy. Their findings support the view that, although feasible in the intermediate t erm, China’s recent pattern of extensive growth is not sustainable in the long run. The authors believe that China will be able to sustain a growth rate of 8 to 9 percent for an extended period if it moves from extensive to intensive growth. They next compare potential growth in China with historical developments in the United States and the European Union. They discuss the differences in production structure and level of development across the three economies that may explain the count ries’ varied intermediate-term growth prospects. Finally, the authors provide an analysis of “green” gross domestic product and the role of natural resources in China’s growth. (JEL L10, L96, O30)