My usual route to work was jammed solid this morning. The alternative was too. The 3rd option across town managed to miss my lst meeting only by 15 minutes. Whew!
This is not the normal Beijing traffic. Red balloon lanterns line all expressways. Color flags beam welcome messages. Banners and billboards everywhere are all celebrating the same event Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Yes, this country is entertaining a continent. More than 40 countries from Africa are visiting Beijing this week. This can be the largest meeting of countries other than United Nations. Rumors say those heads of state, including South African President Thabo Mbeki, will bring entourages consists of over 4,000 people, not counting the press.
Few days earlier, China and 10 Southeast Asian nations on Monday agreed to step up efforts to build a free-trade area (FTA) by 2010. Premier Wen Jiabao on Monday said China's strategic partnership with Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) had reached its highest point, as he opened the regional leaders' summit in Nanning. Asean was founded by China and 6 other members – Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam will join this FTA by 2015. The bilateral trades between Asean and China will reach US$200 billions in 2008.
Do you see the emergence of the Middle Kingdom?