China and an economic miracle are synonymous for most people around the world when they think of the country.

Indeed, as the nation grows in the global consciousness, many wonder how it was achieved.

Was it a collective realization of a dream? If so, what is the Chinese dream now?

A group of scholars and officials tried to give their interpretation yesterday at a workshop themed "The Chinese Dream and a Harmonious World."

History tells us that when a country registers strong economic growth, it generates in its wake a large group of successful people  China is at that stage now, said Wu Jianmin, president of the China Foreign Affairs University.

Nearly 30 years of economic reforms have not only created a fast-growing economy but also  brought about major social changes as well as some severe problems both within and outside the country, Wu said.

On the domestic front is the increasing wealth gap between the rich and the poor; and growth at the cost of the environment. Overseas, there is a spreading concept of a "China threat."

Wu hopes that the pursuit of the Chinese Dream could resolve both the problems.

At home, Wu said, the Chinese Dream aims to create equal opportunities for people from all walks of life.

"We don't want to see any hatred towards the rich," he said. "Migrant workers can also become the elite in society through their pursuit of their dream."

Wu said that the Chinese Dream has three distinctive characteristics. The first is the unprecedented  scale "of a vast nation with a population of 1.3 billion rushing forward at such dazzling speed." The second is its wide scope, which covers all aspects of society, the economy, politics and technology. The third is that China shares its dream with the world.

"The Chinese Dream belongs to both China and the world and that is to build a harmonious world in which China shares its development and opportunities with the whole world," he said.

Wu cited the example of foreign direct investment (FDI) in China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) as an example of the nation's openness to the world.

In 2004, China attracted FDI of US$526 billion, six and 10 times that of Japan and the ROK. "Though China opened up its economy much later than them, it is now much more open than them," he said.

"Chinese people can only pursue their dream on the back of close ties with the international community," he said. "And the whole world will also benefit during the process."

Zhang Yesui, vice-foreign minister, echoed Wu's opinion, stressing that China would stick to a path of peaceful development to build a harmonious world.

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