The connections and capriciousness that formed the foundation for China's dazzling economic growth, mean it is necessary to understand a series of historic connections if one is to fully appreciate China's development.

In fact, it is impossible to ignore them when evaluating the country today, because China's development is not a model, but rather a rapid learning curve.

China's reforms began in the rural areas, which attached great significance to fairness. Although a serious crisis has occurred in the countryside in China since the 1990s, it is caused by the increasing disparity between urban and rural areas and the commercialization of land, not the fairness in land relations constructed in the early stages of reform.

The quality of China's labor is higher than that of other labor-intensive economies, thanks to the education and agricultural traditions in this country. And the government's aggressiveness and flexibility in pushing forward reforms and adapting itself to changing circumstances has secured the support of the public.

However, these achievements face many challenges.

Globalization, especially financial globalization, has changed sovereign relations in a fundamental way. The interactions of political authorities and capital tend to tilt public policies in favor of capital. Inequality between urban and rural areas still exists and tens of millions of migrant workers, the new urban working class, cannot easily air their grievances.

China is unique among East Asian countries because it has independently explored its development path, unlike its neighbors, which have relied on global powers. It is inaccurate to generalize the development of the whole of Eastern Asia as "Confucian capitalism".

China is still a sovereign economy, even if it is deeply involved in the global economy and the tenacity of China's sovereignty is much greater than that of any other developing country.

Cultural differences and independent development have intensified the clashes between Chinese intellectuals and the reference system of the West and strengthened China's cultural autonomy.

Socialism still carries a very important political meaning for China, because its premise that ordinary laborers should be the masters of society still resonates throughout Chinese society today.

Crystallizing the lessons of several generations of Chinese citizens, it is not an abstract sermon, but a solid consensus and part of the identity of the nation, which deserves respect in reforms.

China has developed a mechanism of self-denial, self-criticism and self-improvement on the bases of its historic experiences and its interactions with the outside world. This has been demonstrated over the last 30 years of reform and opening-up.

But a number of problems at home and abroad, such as economic structural transition and environmental issues are testing this authority-led mechanism.

The desire for equality and the legacy of China's early revolutionaries, is now taking a toll on China's domestic development.

It is no longer only about equal shares in the spoils of labor, but more importantly, about equal opportunities, granting each citizen fair access to quality education and other services and promoting a forgiving social environment.

A mentality of global-minded equality is necessary for China's decision-makers and citizens as they participate in global affairs.

This mentality applies not only to the nation, but also the international community as a whole. When the United States resorts to unilateralism, China should be confident in its ability to create a new democratic political order for global governance.

This new order of fairness and equality can be built on the independence and openness drawn from China's valuable historical lessons.

The author is a professor at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature and director of Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, Tsinghua University.

(China Daily 04/27/2011 page9)