 Letters and Blogs
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-04 07:41 PNG can learn a lot from China We know that Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a country with abundant natural resources, and it is "an island of gold floating on a sea of oil". However, PNG is still classified as a less developed country. By the end of last year, China became the third largest economic power in the world overcoming huge challenges and difficulties. The ordinary Chinese have experienced profound changes in their daily life. PNG can learn a lot from the experiences of China. Few countries in the world can compare with us in terms of our rich natural resources, which include mineral resources, oil, gas, timber, marine resources, agricultural produce, tourism resources and so on. Our backward economy should and must change to improve the livelihood of all our people. In the past 30 years, China has utilized all forms of foreign capital through various channels. Such capital includes foreign loans from foreign governments, international financial institutions, foreign commercial banks, export credits and issuance of bonds overseas, foreign direct investment, and some other foreign investment. Generally in developing countries the demand for capital is high and the supply is low. We have the same situation in PNG. PNG can learn from China to utilize foreign capital for economic growth, tax revenue, improvements in foreign trade and consumer welfare, technology transfer, employment creation and so on. Besides such foreign capital, every year PNG receives some financial aid and grants from friendly countries and organizations like China, Australia, Japan, South Korea, EU, UN and so on. We should make good use of these funds. PNG is at the crossroads of its economic development. We are now facing so many challenges and difficulties. How to make a breakthrough concerns every one of us. It is my opinion that the energy issue is the bottleneck of PNG's economic development. John Momis, PNG's ambassador to China via fax Please care more for the poor Comment on "Subsidies no panacea for rising prices" (China Daily, June 23) I think your opinions show little care for millions of Chinese people who live a hard life. If all subsidies are cancelled, an all-round inflation is possible, especially for daily necessities. Some so-called experts now advocate that China should be brought in line with international practice in terms of economy, tuition and so on. But do they know how much we poor Chinese are striving to earn every month? And do not forget those laid-off workers and farmers who rely on energy to grow crops to feed such "experts". Though I have a master's degree, I have to live hard and feel exhausted in my efforts to support my family. We cannot afford housing, travel or any other luxuries which might be a piece of cake for the rich. I hope you journalists show more care for our people living at the bottom of the society. Nobody via e-mail Readers' comments are welcome. Please send mail to Letters to the Editor, China Daily, 15 Huixin Dongjie, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029 China. Send faxes to (86-10) 6491-8377. Send e-mail to opinion@chinadaily.com.cn or letters@chinadaily.com.cn or to the individual columnists. China Daily reserves the right to edit all letters. Thank you. (China Daily 07/04/2008 page9) |
