Observers share 3 words about China

Bill Gates speaks at Peking University in Beijing, on March 24, 2017. [Photo: China Daily]

China is "committed", "ambitious" and "vital", according to Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

The billionaire philanthropist was among leading business figures, academics and opinion leaders from around the world who were asked by China Daily to sum up China in just three words.

Apart from the somewhat obvious "big", words which regularly came up from respondents were "innovative", "dynamic" and "transforming", reflecting some of the spirit of the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era outlined in the general secretary's report to the 19th CPC National Congress.

Gates said he wanted his selection of words to reflect the fact that China was now "very important to the future of the entire world".

"Committed, because as much as any other country over the past few years, China has shown a commitment to health and development both at home and abroad. Ambitious, because of the targets it has set for itself, including wiping out extreme poverty by 2020. And vital, because we need an engaged and responsible China if we are to rid the world of what we call 'solvable human misery'," he responded.

Former US ambassador to China Gary Locke talks with China Daily during an exclusive interview. [Photo: China Daily]

Gary Locke, the former US ambassador to China, said it was important to reflect that China was building a new modernity while also not forgetting the foundation of its ancient culture.

"I would say 'modern', 'ancient' and 'energetic'. China is on the move," he responded.

This combination of old and new was reflected in the choices of Marine Jibladze, the Georgian Sinologist and author.

"It is both 'modern' and 'traditional' as well as 'safe'," she said.

Kerry Brown [File photo]

Leading China expert Kerry Brown, director of the Lau Institute at King's College London and author of the new book China's World about China's increasing global role, described China as "dynamic", "complex" and "aspirational".

He said he wanted the words to reflect just how important China is to the rest of the world.

"China has a new role. Domestic issues are global because of their size and scale," he replied.

Scott Kennedy, deputy director of the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, was one of those who said it was difficult to avoid the word "big" when it came to China, although he also went for "competitive" and "offering variety", the last choice taking into account the diversity of the country.

"China is big. It's not just big geographically and in terms of its number of people but also on its effect on the global economy, markets and security issues. Anything you study about China has to start with its size," he responded. David Lampton, former president of the National Committee on United States-China Relations and now a Sinologist at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, went for "leaders" as well as "complicated" and "expectations".

"Leaders matter and I think with Xi we are seeing the rise of a leader in China who will make a big difference," he responded.

Sir Gerry Grimstone, chairman of Standard Life, the UK insurance company, and former chairman of The-CityUK, a trade body for the UK's financial services sector, stressed "opportunity" as well as "exciting" and "powerful", because of the potential for UK-China business following Xi's state visit to the UK in October 2015.

"The visit marked an improvement in the relations between the two countries and the beginning of a new 'golden era' of cooperation," he responded.