May 10, 2003	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 7, 1424

SINGAPORE: China’s economy is bigger than those of Canada and Russia combined. Now a country that has long claimed a role as leader of the Third World is about to take a step towards joining those members of the elite club of the Group of Eight rich nations at their annual summit.

Motivating Beijing to attend — even on the sidelines — part of the G8 summit in June in France is not only a shift in foreign policy but reflects the desire of the Communist Party’s new leader to assert himself on the world stage and to overcome the impact of the deadly SARS virus on China’s reputation.

His attendance at a pre-summit meeting of specially invited developing world nations will mark Hu Jintao’s first official appearance at a world forum. Although the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday final details would be announced later.

“China can always take the stand that it goes to the G8 as a representative of the developing world,” said Chung Chien-Peng, assistant professor at Singapore’s Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies.

“It is definitely in their own interests to participate in G8 forums from now on because China does most of its business with G8 countries,” said Chung. The G8 comprises the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia.

Even if Hu is to attend only a pre-summit meeting, he is almost certain to be courted by G8 leaders eager to meet face to race with a little-known man who now rules the world’s most populous country and the fastest growing major economy.

SAVING FACE, MAKING FRIENDS: It is a rare opportunity. Three years ago, China snubbed an invitation from Germany to attend the G8 with some kind of observer status. But an offer last month from visiting French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin came when Beijing was finally ready to receive such an overture and enabled it to save face.

“I am not surprised that China will agree,” said Sheng Lijun of the Institute of South East Asian Studies in Singapore. “It has been a long time since China expressed explicit criticism of the G8, but it needed to be invited.

“China wants to be recognized as a major world player and they have been looking for the right time to enter this process,” said Sheng. “With the invitation from the French prime minister they have enough face.”

For China to follow the Russian model towards greater participation in the G8 makes a lot of sense, analysts say.

Its economy is already ranked sixth in the world according to World Bank gross domestic product figures for 2001, is bigger than Russia and Canada combined and set to overtake France possibly by the end of this year.

“China’s interests are more in line with developed than with developing countries,” said Sheng.

Hu’s interests too are served with a trip coming within months of his installation last October as leader of the Communist Party. His first weeks in the job have been tough.

He is now coping with the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) after an initial cover-up allowed the new virus to spread far beyond China’s frontiers. A chance to mingle with the big eight would boost his standing abroad and at home.

“This comes at a time when the new leadership needs international endorsement,” said Sheng.

“Hu wants to show he is more prepared to engage the major countries of the world and he’s making his mark after his country has taken a battering over SARS,” said Chung.

And with foreign investment a major driver of its booming economy, Beijing is certainly eager to keep its door open.

MORE DEVELOPED THAN DEVELOPING?: “It is in China’s interests to be more liberal and it is even more liberal than Japan or Korea at the same economic stage,” said Sheng. “If they close the door then they protect the monopoly of foreign companies already in China.”

Beijing wants to ensure vibrant competition for a piece of its domestic market and for its cheap labour that is fuelling surging exports. In 1985, foreign companies’ products accounted for five percent of exports, that has swollen to 55 per cent.

“China’s first interests will be better served with Western countries,” said Sheng. “In terms of face and real economic benefits, this is in China’s interest.”

And China’s foreign policy mandarins are displaying a shift towards a desire to be recognized as a major world player and quietly to move yet further away from the role as champion of the world’s poor countries.—Reuters