Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, delivering a government work report at the third session of the 11th National People's Congress in March, claimed that China was "first in the world to realize economic recovery and positive turnaround" following the international financial crisis, and that its strategies for "reform, opening up and social modernization" brought about "new achievements."

Last year, in fact, China's economy grew 8.7 percent from the previous year, achieving V-shaped recovery by dint of large-scale stimulus measures that were implemented in October 2008. So it is strongly expected that China will replace Japan as the world's second largest economy in 2010 and top the United States around 2030.

About the future of China, however, mixed expectations and concerns prevail around the world.