Asia 2014 different from Europe 1914, says Chinese official in Munich

MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 1 - While some people trying to compare the situation of Asia 2014 to Europe 1914, a top Chinese official would not agree with that.

Addressing Munich Security Conference Saturday, Fu Ying, Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress, said that the situation in Asia now was different from that of Europe in 1914, when countries were fighting for expansion in "the year of imperialism".

Globalization provided opportunities for a peaceful development of emerging economies including China, peace and development is the main trend, Fu said in Munich.

Although in the process of globalization, finance, technology, resources were transferring from traditional center of industrialized countries to developing countries including China and India, providing opportunities for them to progress towards prosperity.

"Now is the era of peace and development," she said, adding that the economic development of developing countries would not have the same drive for the expansion for power, or for war.

Fu Ying said China needed a peaceful environment for its ongoing drive for development. The new reform program will help China move forward to realize the Chinese Dream where "those who work hard be rewarded, the elder be cared, the sickness be treated, children be educated".

China has avoided getting involved in conflicts, built confidence with its neighbors and initiated lots of economic and financial cooperation schemes and has made Asia "an attractive place with prosperity and lasting stability".

On the relationships between China and Japan, Fu Ying said China was at the receiving end of the Japan's provocation on maritime territory disputes, and has to respond in order to bring the issue back to the right track.

Regarding Japan's denying its invasion history and crimes during the second world war, she said "until the Japanese leaders can face honestly what happened during the war, until they can make genuine reconciliation with the people of their neighbors, until they can take off the burden of history, it's very hard for them to become a constructive member of Asian partnership."

Japanese leader's recent performance, including visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine where 14 Class-A war criminals of WWII were honored, showed that there was a failure of history education in Japan. People born after the war had so little knowledge, so cold feeling for the victims of the war, said Fu Ying.