How do you view challenges China might be faced with?

China has already fully tapped a period of strategic opportunities during the first 10 years of this century. The task will become even more difficult for the following decade.

First, changes in international situations have given rise to conflicts. The world is undergoing a major transformation with profound changes occurring to the strategic balance of power. While the global trend toward multi-polarity is accelerating, a multi-polar world has yet to take shape. The world is still dominated by traditional powers and emerging countries have limited say in international affairs. Old and new conflicts arising from the development toward multi-polarity have made international relations more complicated. As both the international political and economic orders are in favor of the interests of Western countries, it is not easy to break up the original framework of interests and build new political and economic orders that allow all countries to achieve win-win development.

The ongoing global financial crisis originated from economic mismanagement in Western countries, but it has negatively impacted the entire world. The crisis exposed the structural conflicts within the Western economic system, which could cause severe impacts on the international economy, politics and security. Power politics are far from being phased out from the international stage. It is still common for countries to resort or threaten to the use of force to resolve conflicts. World peace remains the common wish of mankind.

Second, China has to achieve peaceful development by overcoming external obstacles. Western countries won't easily give up their dominating positions in international affairs and will try to contain China's development by raising the thresholds for acceptance, implementing trade protectionism, adopting unfair game rules and forcing China to shoulder inequitable responsibilities. Some developing countries still have concerns about China's development. All these factors have posed severe challenges to China's financial and energy security and social stability.

Third, there are strategic conflicts between China and some blocs of states. These blocs of states feel uneasy about China's development and have imposed strategic containment on China for a long time. For example, after gaining the upper hand over Russia and establishing an influential position in the Middle East and Central Asia through launching two wars against Iraq and fighting a war in Afghanistan, the United States is shifting its focus to the Asia-Pacific region and meddling in South China Sea disputes, showing its intensified containment efforts against China. The clashes between the two countries on international and regional affairs become unavoidable.

Fourth, emergencies in neighboring areas could disrupt China's renewal process. These emergencies may include a major war across the Taiwan Straits, a major crisis on the Korean Peninsula and deterioration of territorial disputes in the South China Sea. China's maritime resources have suffered enormously with neighboring countries exploiting off-shore petroleum and natural gas in areas belonging to China and establishing actual control over major islands. China's efforts to safeguard its maritime interests are likely to trigger clashes and emergencies with neighboring countries.

Fifth, problems keep arising from China's reform and opening-up driving, which has come to a difficult stage featuring yawning income gaps and unbalanced development between different regions and between cities and the countryside. Mass incidents caused by clashes of interests threaten social stability. Meanwhile, with the wide use of the Internet, ideological battles become more furious and hostile domestic and international forces try to challenge the governing status of the CPC and subvert the socialist system. Active measures should be taken to cope with these challenges.

In what areas should China pay more attention to safeguarding its strategic opportunities?

First is the impact of economic globalization on international politics. Economic globalization is profoundly influencing all countries' development strategies, foreign policies and stances on major international affairs.

Second is the adjustment of relations between major countries in the international situation. China and the United States will maintain relations featuring both cooperation and competition for a relatively long historical period. But there will be much more cooperation than competition.

Third is the turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East. In recent years, social turmoil in these areas has led to regime changes, which reflect the combats between major countries to control energies.

Fourth is the emergence of potential clashes of interests in the Asia-Pacific region. Territorial disputes and fights for maritime interests and energy between countries in this area have intensified, which pose severe threats to China's development and security. Maintaining peace in the Asia-Pacific region and stability in the neighboring areas has become an urgent task for China.

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