Deng Xiaoping,as a great Chinese leader, made significant contribution to China's modernization drive, said Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) and current Chairman of the Board of the South Centre, describing the Chinese leader in his eyes.

Show on Deng's life opens in Beijing

Ghali said that although he did not meet Deng Xiaoping in person, he did read seriously Deng's works and speeches, and he is much concerned about and aware of the extraordinary political life of the Chinese leader. "I respect the chief designer of China's modernization drive all along. It was he that brought China the present globally acknowledged economic miracle that many developing countries have been striving for.

It is by no means easy to have led China onto a road towards modernization. Deng Xiaoping had an accurate understanding of China's situation and the international relations. He stressed that every step must be taken from the actual situation, and the living standard of the people must be improved. He also put forward the idea of an economic development path with China's characteristics and launching reform and opening-up to the outside world. Ghali emphasized that in China, a country of vast territory, on the basis of the old administrative structure, it clearly indicates the Deng's leadership and bravery when he realized such economic reforms with stability and peace not affected.

Ghali said, he himself, as the chairman of the South Center, has always been pondering how to promote South-South cooperation. "I feel honored to say that Deng Xiaoping has put forward many basic ideas on that issue," said Ghali. It is far from enough that developing countries pinch their hope for development only on the North-South relations, they must strengthen South-South cooperation because some problems can be solved in this way. In recent years, developing countries have made progress to different degrees. Every country surely has its advantages in exchange with other countries therefore cooperation is no question. "If we want to change the international economic order, we must go all out to solve the problems in North-South relations. And at the same time, we must find new ways in South-South cooperation."

Ghali said that Deng Xiaoping has always stressed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and maintained to set enhanced living standards of the people as the goal of economic development. He succeeded in giving play of the imagination of the people, encouraging them to work hard for the beautiful future. This idea and conviction are valuable thought heritage for many countries to carry on.

Already over 80 years old, Ghali has always attached importance to the Sino-Egypt relations ever since he became the foreign minister late in the 1970s. He was the UN Secretary-General during December 1991 to December 1996. He often visited China in the past two decades and felt in person the overthrowing changes in China under the direction of Deng Xiaoping's theories. Ever since he assumed chairman of the South Center, he set China as an exemplar and devoted himself to promoting the development of and cooperation among developing countries.

By People's Daily Online