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Wolfowitz: China no threat to the world
By Xu Binglan (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-10-17 16:00
Energy and astronauts
The World Bank is also keen to
co-operate with China on other issues such as energy efficiency, Wolfowitz
said.
As the largest developing economy, with growing market power, China
could become a world leader in renewable energy, vehicle fuel economy, and
energy efficiency in manufacturing and construction, he said.
"China is
clearly up to the task," Wolfowitz said in a speech to students at Lanzhou
University.
"The successful launch of two astronauts right here in Gansu
Province proves that China can master the world's most advanced
technology."
In the interview, Wolfowitz said it was reasonable for China
to develop its own space program, even though the country still has a huge poor
population.
"In the first place that's for Chinese people to decide," he
said. "And you have to think of development as requiring a degree of balance."
He used the World Bank's strategy in education projects as an
example.
The bank puts priority on primary education. "But you can't just
have a country of people with six grade graduates, you need college graduates,
you need university researchers. You need balanced growth," he said.
Paul Wolfowitz, 61, was known as a key neo-conservative hawk in the US
Government and a key architect of the controversial war in Iraq.
US
decision to nominate him as candidate for the World Bank's presidency led to
opposition from some parts of the world. The nomination was approved by the
bank's board after diplomatic efforts by the US and Wolfowitz
himself.
Since taking office, however, Wolfowitz has worked to establish
his image as a strong advocate of the World Bank's anti-poverty mission, rather
than a tool for US values.
He lobbied hard for increased aid and debt
relief for poor countries and reduction of trade barriers. He defied proposals
by some to slash the bank's support to what they called "middle-income
countries" such as China.
He traveled extensively to donor nations, to
secure smooth co-operation, and to developing countries, to know local people's
needs at first hand.
In Gansu, the soft-spoken man spent substantial time
talking with farmers about their lives and expectations for their children. He
also visited a village Mosque and recited by memory Arabic prayers from the
Koran.
Responding to the question whether he would reorient the bank and
turn it into an instrument to promote US-style democracy, he said there are
issues -- such as the accountability of government -- which support economic
development that some people might say are political. Development should be
given a meaning in a broader context, he said.
"The mission of the World
Bank is to reduce poverty and to promote economic development and that's really
what I want to stress," Wolfowitz said.
"When it comes back to the test
of whether we (the World Bank) are doing our job or not, it's whether we're
promoting development, not whether we're promoting
democracy."
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