The world has grown used to the restless pace of change in China. Another year, another 10 per cent. But like a parent who monitors an adolescent’s growth spurt by making notches on the doorpost, there is something to be said for keeping track. This is not merely a matter of recording China’s growth. In fact, the milestones I have in mind are harder to measure. Certainly this was the year that, in dollar terms, China’s economy surpassed Japan’s, a moment that will ensure 2010 a place in the history books. But in other ways too, the past year will be seen as crucial in China’s renaissance. Here, in no particular order, are seven notches on the doorpost.
世界已習慣了中國時刻不停的變化步伐。又是一年過去了，又是一個10%的增長。但與那些通過在門柱上劃上印記、以此監測青春期子女“瘋長”情況的父母一樣，記錄中國的變化有其意義。這不僅僅是一個記錄中國增長的問題。實際上，我心目中的一些重要事件很難加以衡量。的確，在這一年里，以美元計算的中國經濟規模超過了日本，2010年肯定會因此而載入史冊。但在其它一些方面，過去的一年也將被視為中國復興的關鍵。下面，就是我在“門柱”上所做的7個“印記”，排序不分先后。