The lion awakes, but no need to be scared

When Napoleon Bonaparte called China a "sleeping lion" two centuries ago, the legendary conqueror said that when the lion awakes, "she will shake the world".

The former Emperor of France was right in his prophesy since China has awakened, as declared by President Xi Jinping in his April trip to Europe, and it has been shaking the world, though not making it tremble in the way Napoleon suggested.

An evident sign of the Asian giant's growing engagement with the world is the frequent overseas visits made by the top Chinese leaders. The year of 2014 witnessed a busy diplomatic schedule for both Xi and Premier Li Keqiang, with Xi undertaking seven overseas tours and Li five.