From The New York Times:
Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China said Friday that his country is still trying to overcome major obstacles to its internal development and suggested that it will not seek to disrupt the world order dominated by the United States.
In a nationally televised news conference wrapping up the National People’s Congress, Mr. Wen deflected a series of questions about China’s rising financial and military power and its fast-growing emissions of gases that contribute to climate change. He argued that China remains a developing country that must study the experiences of richer nations, and which will always act responsibly on the world stage.Chinese leaders have long followed a public relations strategy that emphasizes modesty and avoids intimations of political, economic or diplomatic ambition. But Mr. Wen’s defensive tone was notable because China’s trade surplus, foreign exchange reserves, military spending and pollution have all surged under his leadership in the past four years, raising concerns about the country’s growing impact on the outside world. [Full Text]