By staff reporter LU RUCAI

THE two-hour-long celebration in Tiananmen Square on the morning of October 1 embodied the course of development that this nation has taken over the last six decades. The festivities were also about looking forward with best wishes for Chinas future. It became a focus of attention both domestically and internationally.

Pride for the Motherland

The warmest reactions came from the Chinese people. Even before the celebration was over, the Internet was inundated with messages expressing the immense feeling of pride and joy felt by Chinese netizens. “President Hus speech sounded the clarion call to march towards the new era! I am proud to see Chinas national strength,” wrote a self-identified “Chinese Citizen.”

Elsie Leung Oi-sie, vice director of the Hong Kong Basic Law Committee under the National Peoples Congress Standing Committee, attended the 35th anniversary celebration back in 1984 and couldnt help but compare her feelings to that time. Keenly aware of the great changes that had taken place in the country, she wished it to continue on its path of progress in the future.

Although thousands of miles away from the motherland, overseas Chinese managed to hold various local activities to celebrate the birthday of their home country. In Ellipse Park, south of the White House, Chinese celebrants performed traditional lion dances and Kungfu. In Mexico City, a large-scale performance was mounted in honor of the PRCs national day.

Chen Nan has been studying logistics at the University of Southampton in the U.K. since last August. He regarded the parade a good opportunity for China to showcase its revitalized spirit to the world and also for the rest of the world to recognize a new China and its modern people. “Although not in China, the prosperity of my homeland and its continued influence is strongly felt by those of us living overseas,” he said.

Guo Fucheng is now studying electronic engineering as a visiting scholar at the University of Missouri; he was formerly an associate professor at a military academy in China. His thoughts lingered naturally on the military parade. “I am excited that the parade included some recently developed weaponry, which will showcase our military strength. And a large-scale mass parade like that really underscores the unity of our country,” he spoke excitedly, adding, “I feel a great sense of pride from the bottom of my heart to see the growth in our nations power.”

“Be proud of our country.” At that moment, this must be the feeling filling the hearts of Chinese all around the world.

Let the Facts Tell the Story

Mr. Fedichev Oleksandr, Attaché of the Embassy of Ukraine in China, has been living in Beijing for over three years. He believes the timing was right for China to hold a grand parade. “This parade acted as a review of the development of China over the past six decades, and the government rightfully highlighted the many achievements the country has made. Let the facts speak for themselves.”

Adel Sabri, deputy editor-in-chief of the Al Wafd Daily in Egypt, thought it was very important for the Chinese people to celebrate the success of revolution. He believed that Chinas demonstration of its achievements would inspire patriotism and national pride among its people.

Canadas National Post commented that Chinas military developments and economic growth are not mutually exclusive. The article stated that, 60 years ago when Chinas communist leaders reviewed troops on the rostrum of Tiananmen, the Peoples Liberation Army was seemingly insignificant, though their numbers were around five million. But now China has become the worlds third biggest economy, and largest exporter and holder of Forex reserves. Along with the nations economic growth, the PLA has also experienced unprecedented development. Todays troops are equipped with the most advanced weaponry, featuring third-generation domestically-made fighter jets, short- and long-range ballistic missiles.A modern navy is in place.

In the reviewing stands north of the square sat 69-year-old Yang. As a former employee at the Ministry of Nuclear Industry, he showed an extraordinary interest in the development of Chinas arsenal. “During the last century, we were all too often defeated by foreign countries,” raising his tone, “but today we have the ability to fight back. Its a good thing, especially since we have developed our military to defend our citizens rather than to threaten or invade other countries. When China first successfully detonated a nuclear bomb, Chairman Mao immediately declared that it would never be the first to use it. This has been the guiding principle of Chinas policy: its nuclear arsenal is only a deterrent to nations who might use them.”

Three-in-One Century

Jonathan Holslag, head of the Brussels Institute for Contemporary China Studies, regarded the evolution of China as the most characteristic economic transition of the 20th century. The strength of Chinas economic growth is that it started to make great efforts even in its primary stages of industrialization to insure sustainability, technical innovation and benefits for all. “China is endeavoring to accomplish in one century what has taken three centuries to do in the West.”

Ben Chapman, chairman of All Party Parliamentary China Group, used to be suspicious of the so-called “Chinese miracle.” Between 1987 and 1990, he was with the Economic and Commercial Counselors Office of the British Embassy in China. He recalled that he was once invited to visit the site of a planned development that was to include a financial center, an international airport, a high-tech zone and an industrial zone. “I doubted the feasibility of the plan, but looking back, I see that my doubts were totally unfounded. The area thrives today under the name of Pudong in Shanghai.”

“The U.S. mode of development used to be the most discussed model, but now China has succeeded in finding a new mode of development, enhancing its reputation in the spectrum of global public opinion,” said Pierre Picquart, famous China watcher and geopolitist at the University Paris 8. “The drive for reform and opening-up became the ‘secret of that success. By adhering to those polices, Chinas future will continue to be bright,” he added. But Pierre cautioned that the Chinese reforms should be “carried out step by step,” and that undue haste might lead to failure.

The success of the China model for development has become a hot topic in the media. Newsweek pointed out that the U.S. should treat the emergence of modern China and its newfound influence objectively. On the other hand, the Washington Post thought the current international financial crisis has neatly highlighted the pros and cons of each countrys unique mode of growth, showing us that the bottom line is no nation has the right to monopolize.