China will be barely recognizable to Danish queen as the country she saw in 1979

As Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Prince Consort Henrik tour China over the next few days they will barely recognize a country that the queen last set foot in 35 years ago.

The royal couple, who arrived in Beijing on April 24 for a five-day visit to the country, were last there in 1979, when it was just beginning to open up.

Margrethe's visit then was all the more noteworthy because she was the first head of state from a Western nation to visit the country after the opening-up policy was adopted the previous year.

The present visit is equally significant, coming just months after the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to press ahead with deep and wide-ranging economic and social reform. Two of the pillars of that reform are to let the market play a decisive role in allocating resources and to modernize the way government is run.

In November, more than 330 major reform measures were formulated covering 15 areas, such as how to accelerate the improvement of the modern market system, how to transform government functions, how to further develop an open economy, how to promote integrated development of urban and rural areas, how to make ecological progress and how to strengthen the socialist democratic political system.

A new era has thus begun, one that will produce changes over the coming decades as profound as those wrought by the opening-up of the past 35 years.

In the years since Margrethe's visit in 1979, China has become the world's second-largest economy and the biggest foreign exchange reserve holder, and ranks first in terms of trade in goods. Its cities are now linked by modern highways and high-speed railways used by a population that has become increasingly affluent, and whose lives run to the rhythm of the latest modern conveniences.

Beijing and Shanghai, which she visited all those years ago will again be on her schedule this time, and in many ways just as unrecognizable as everything else she sees.

Along with China's rapid growth over the years, relations with Denmark have continued to blossom.

Before taking up my post in Denmark, I was privileged to read a historical archive of the 1979 visit. Besides meeting the Chinese leaders, the focus was on learning about Chinese culture, history and local customs.

This time the program is largely devoted to bilateral relations. There will be conferences on China-Denmark cooperation, ground-breaking ceremonies of a Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research in Beijing and a Lego factory in Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang province, and of course, visits to Danish companies.

China's commitment to deepen its reform will not only add impetus to its development, but also create more opportunities for Sino-Danish collaboration. There are many areas in which the two countries can work together, including agriculture and food, energy efficiency and environmental protection, health and medical care, as well as care services for the elderly.

A large delegation of Danish business leaders will be in China at the same time as the royal couple's visit.

There is no doubt that the enthusiasm our Danish friends have demonstrated for closer ties with China over the years burns as brightly as ever, and it will meet an equally bright and warm response from their Chinese hosts.

The author is China's ambassador to Denmark. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

(China Daily European Weekly 04/25/2014 page19)