The Olympic Games in Beijing this past month, and in particular the spectacular opening ceremony, have stirred a certain sense of pride and restored national dignity among nearly all people of Chinese background. This applies to the hundreds of millions within the country and to the vast numbers of people who have made their homes – by circumstance or choice – around the world.

The enthusiasm among young people for the new China has been especially noted, as has the impact across diverse political and social outlooks amongst Chinese at home and across the world. It all combines with the massive expansion of an advanced Chinese economy and technology over recent decades.

Some in Western countries, especially, have become a little unnerved about this strong feeling that is evident among Chinese people today. They are cynical about it and find fault about all things Chinese. They criticise China on one matter after another. There are many motives amongst the critics. Some are quite genuine, for China is far from being without fault (as is any other country).

Some of the present world powers are however nervous that China is threatening their economic and strategic dominance over the world. It is quite fine for them to pursue dominance over others– even invade and bomb on a massive scale – but absolutely impermissible for China to develop an influence reflecting its population and size.

What is not understood among many in the West is the extent of the humiliation suffered by China and its people over many centuries. China emerged as a coherent civilisation two to three thousand years BC. In the following centuries it developed its own rich culture comprised of written language, literature, art and music, technological developments, oceanic travelling, and much more. It was only in the relatively recent two to three centuries that China was pulled apart by a range of foreign powers seeking to divide and plunder. It became the broken wretch of Asia. The suffering of the people was on an unimaginable scale.

In the last half-century or so, the tables have begun to turn for China and its people. The huge nation is fast developing a modern economy, being potentially able to greatly improve the living standards of its one billion plus people. It is not at all surprising that many Chinese people, including millions abroad of Chinese heritage, find these developments uplifting.

There are of course many issues about the future direction of China.

Polarisation of weath

As in the whole world, the first right in of all people in China is to eat. Economic development, vast markets and trade, new technologies and amassed wealth in a country don't necessarily mean that there is equality in distribution of the benefits. Many Chinese express concern that there is a polarisation of their society going on into the very rich few at the top and the increasingly poor many at the bottom.

The Western “developed” world has plenty of its own examples of this, most notably the United States itself. There is concern among Chinese that expanding economic development in their country will not carry all social sections forward at an equal pace. The challenge will be to seriously work towards flattening out the current polarisation of wealth.

Many in China are beginning to examine more closely the Western welfare state experience. Especially in the Western European countries, Canada and Australia/New Zealand (as well as in Japan), the last half-century or so has seen the emergence of this ideal. The background was largely the miseries for people of the 1930s Great Depression and the Second World War.

The community as a whole demanded that more be done to spread the benefits of industrialisation to all people. Means-tested income support, public hospitals, subsidised pharmaceutical benefits, universal health care systems, equal opportunity of access to school and tertiary education, employment services, public housing, legal aid and many other services – these emerged as key components of the welfare state.

Of course, it has always been a battle to maintain this ideal and some of the services have not worked as successfully as first intended. Further the cost of the welfare state is very large. With per capita income in China still small, it needs much development yet before a full welfare state could come about.

Many other issues

Some Western governments and media often use ”human rights” issues to attack China. They themselves ignore serious human rights deficiencies that remain unaddressed in their own countries. Nevertheless, there are serious issues in China about the human rights of ethnic communities and individuals. Legal rights are often poorly defined and enforced.

There are also issues about the Chinese media's development. There is a need for a media that is able to analyse better, explain and articulate key policies. The emergence of the world-wide-web has brought vast information resources to everyday people all over the globe. The Chinese media needs to get better at providing coverage of events and trends in a way that better connects with the Chinese public and internationally.

The position of minorities is indeed an important issue in China. As in all countries, indigenous and minority peoples have the right to preserve their culture and society free of majority domination.

Amidst the splendour of the Beijing Olympic Games programme, some sobering worries do arise about China's economic future. The country has indeed opened to the world with its products and services being purchased all over the world. But how stable is the world economy? The grave credit crisis is reducing demand and throwing many nations into serious recession. There is always danger that China will get dragged down by this mess, with awful consequences for its people.

A further concern for China is the world environmental situation. There is overwhelming scientific evidence now that human habitation of the planet, especially over recent centuries of extensive industrialisation, has caused substantial upset to the planet's natural systems. Human survival may ultimately be under threat. There is urgent need to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere and slow the unnatural heating of the Earth. This poses many challenges for China.

While some Western countries are trying to put all responsibility for the crisis on China (and India), it is clear that no country can ignore these grave issues. People all over the world, however, do need to recognise that it is through cheap Chinese labour, accompanied by environmental stress, that the enormous production and export of low cost goods and services, welcomed by the world, is possible. The danger of double standards needs to be kept in mind when green fingers are pointed at China alone.

There is also concern that as China becomes even more deeply connected economically with the world, it will go the way of big nations that practise big power chauvinism. It is vital that China should not seek to dominate other countries. Considering the appalling tragedies and messes created by big powers, such as the USA, the emerging China must guard against exercising big power chauvinism. It would be a tragedy for China and the whole world if such a thing should happen.

In this Beijing Olympics year, there is little doubt that China's time has again come, after centuries of suffering and humiliation. The hope of all is that its leaders and people will find a peaceful and harmonious way of relating to the world.