China Headlines: How is the Chinese Dream changing the world? (1)

On the way toward the renaissance of its ancient glory, China is inspiring its people and the world with a new concept: the Chinese Dream.

Put forward by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in November 2012, the Chinese Dream of Great Renewal has not only struck a chord with the Chinese people, but been, believe it or not, changing the world.

PROFOUND CHANGES IN CHINA, WORLD

The ancient Chinese civilization had a broad influence on the world. Now China is "coming back" as it is reemerging as a great power.

For this reason, many people began to read "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China", a book that outlines the full political ideas of the top Chinese leadership.

Xi's book has sold 4.5 million copies worldwide, with an overseas circulation of some 400,000, a record for any Chinese leader's publication in nearly four decades.

It is becoming increasingly easy to pin down a definition of the Chinese Dream. On cabs and billboards, the Chinese Dream is described as "a prosperous country, a revitalized nation and a happy people".

The Dream is also elaborated on as "two centenary goals" -- to double the 2010 GDP and per capita income of urban and rural residents and complete the building of a moderately prosperous society by 2020; and to build a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by the middle of this century.

If the development plan comes true, it will be one of the most earth-shaking developments since the First Opium War (1840-1842), not only for China but also for global history.

In a report published last year, London-based advertising company WPP said the Chinese Dream "enjoys a much higher level of awareness than the American Dream or British Dream."

DREAMS OF 1.3 BILLION PEOPLE

China's population outnumbers that of the United States, the European Union and Japan combined, accounting for about one fifth of the world's total.

It is unprecedented in the history of human civilization for a country of such a scale to rejuvenate.

The Chinese Dream is the dream for every Chinese individual. In the Three Gorges reservoir region in central China's Hubei Province, 35-year-old farmer Zhou Xingliang's dream is quite ordinary: he wants his son to grow up healthy and go to a good college, and for he and his wife to be able to take good care of their parents.

Several hundred kilometers away, in Danjiangkou City, chicken farmer Tan Yong has different aspirations. Dreaming of inventing, the 44-year-old man made a two-tonne submarine with a red star painted on the cabin door. The sub can dive 10 meters below the water surface.

For the entrepreneurial Cantonese Zhang Qinwei, his dream of a "gold rush" in Dubai came true. In 12 years, Zhang expanded his business from a four-square meter shop to a wholesale mall of Chinese products.

As president of the Guangdong Chamber of Commerce in the United Arab Emirates, Zhang now dreams of helping more Chinese companies do businesses there.

NEW POWERHOUSE FOR WORLD DEVELOPMENT

China has maintained a high economic growth rate since 1978, when it launched the reform and opening-up policy. But after almost four decades, its economy has, as Chinese leaders put it, entered the "new normal", a phase featuring positive trends of stable growth, an optimized structure and enhanced quality.

Jim O'Neill, former chief economist of Goldman Sachs, said in an article published on the website of think-tank Bruegel in March that "China's 10-trillion-U.S.-dollar econonomy is bigger than those of France, Germany, and Italy combined. Even if its annual output growth slows to 7 percent, the country will add some 700 billion U.S. dollars to global GDP this year."

Reform is the engine of China's economic miracle. Over the past three decades, China has been one of the most successful countries in piloting reforms, while the new round of reforms in China, launched at the end of 2013 after a key meeting of the ruling CPC, will add more momentum to the Chinese Dream.

The reforms have simplified administrative processes and reduced political interference in administrative examinations and approvals, leading to a surge in newly-registered enterprises in 2014 -- 3.65 million in number, up 46 percent year on year.

But how is China's strength in development influencing the world? Just look at the news from the past month.

China and Russia agreed in May to integrate the former's Silk Road Economic Belt initiative with the latter's aspirations under the Eurasian Economic Union framework during Xi's visit to Russia.

Also in May, during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China, Chinese and Indian business leaders agreed to partnerships worth 22 billion U.S. dollars in areas including power, renewable energy, infrastructure and steel. Meanwhile, during a Latin America trip by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, China, Brazil and Peru decided to conduct a feasibility study on a proposed transcontinental railway connecting Peru's Pacific coast with Brazil's Atlantic coast.

INNOVATIVE "MADE IN CHINA"

East Asia Forum editor Peter Drysdale said in an article published on the forum's website in February that "innovation is emerging as a game-changer in the Chinese economy", and "China is rapidly becoming a center of innovative opportunity", which is an "unremarked revolution in China".

Many young Chinese now dream of becoming the next Jack Ma, Alibaba Group's chairman, or Pony Ma, chairman of Tencent Inc., one of the largest Internet companies in China.

Gao Maoxiang, 28, is one of them. Gao developed a mobile application for diagnosing pets' illnesses. The app targets China's increasing number of middle-class families who often raise pets as companions.

Wang Tao is another. The 35-year-old established the Dajiang Innovations Technology Co. Ltd in 2006. In less than 10 years, the company has become the world's leading civilian drone maker, with a global market share of nearly 70 percent.

What changes will be brought to the world if the creativity of the 1.3 billion people is wholly unleashed?

Ancient Chinese left an indelible mark on world history as they invented the compass, paper-making technology and gunpowder, and the civilization's silk and porcelain were of superb quality. Now the "Made in China 2025" plan has suggested a roadmap to transform China from a processing mill to an inventor and designer.

Recently, China's CNR Corp. Ltd won a contract to supply subway cars to Boston's Red and Orange Lines. Chinese smartphone maker Huawei and leading home appliance maker Haier have sold their products all over the world.

CHINA'S RISE BENEFITS WORLD

Recent years witnessed a rise in overseas mergers and acquisitions by Chinese companies.

In March, China National Chemical Corporation (ChemChina) signed an agreement with Camfin, the holding company that controls Italian tiremaker Pirelli, that paves the way for ChemChina's takeover of Pirelli.

Last year, Dongfeng Motor Corporation became a major shareholder in French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen.

Chinese businessmen have brought jobs to the world. In the city center of Dakar, Senegal, there is a cluster of more than 300 Chinese shops selling miscellaneous goods. They hire locals, many of whom later start their own businesses after acquiring business skills.

As Chinese are getting richer, they increasingly dream of traveling the world. Last year, Chinese tourists made over 100 million overseas visits, spending more than one trillion yuan (161.2 billion U.S. dollars) in other countries and regions.

China is opening wider. In five years, the value of goods imported to the country will surpass 10 trillion U.S. dollars and overseas investment 500 billion U.S. dollars, while Chinese tourists will make at least 500 million trips overseas, according to Xi.

"China has repeatedly stated that while it is racing ahead, other nations are welcome to hitch-hike, and China's own development has created opportunities for other countries," said Zheng Yongnian, director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore. (Mo