Judging by commentaries in the state media, China is entering the new year with a sense of purpose and conviction, while recognising that it is still a country beset by problems and is likely to encounter criticism from other world powers. A commentary in the online edition of the People's Daily, headlined 'People's Republic of China with new posture in 2011', recalled China's achievements in 2010, including the hosting of the successful World Expo in Shanghai and the Asian Games in Guangzhou.
Last year also saw China overtaking the US in developing the fastest supercomputer in the world. And, China successfully launched its second unmanned lunar probe, inaugurating the second phase of a three-step moon mission, which is meant to culminate in a landing on the moon.
However, the commentary also listed other statistics of which China may not be that proud, including the fact that workplace accidents had killed 33,876 people in the country during the first half of last year. But while calling this figure 'stunning and shocking', it pointed out that the toll is lower than that for previous years. 'This also represents a true China,' it said, 'one in the throes of transformation.'
But this acknowledgement of China's shortcomings was lost amid the general triumphal observations.
One commentary, published on New Year's Eve, underlines China's increasing economic importance, saying that China's GDP growth in 2010 represented 20 per cent of world growth.
In fact, it said, everyone wants to benefit from China's 'express train' but 'a small handful of people' want to ride the express while still launching fierce battles against China, including 'the Google event in late February and the Nobel Peace Prize farce on December 10'.
Another commentary, this one in Global Times, recalled the progress of the past decade, pointing out for example that 10 years ago China was not even a member of the World Trade Organisation. If China's development over the past 10 years 'made some Western countries uneasy', it exulted, 'it is hard to imagine these worries will fade in the coming decade. It is more likely that this unease will begin to be increasingly apparent in the policies of Western countries.'