Expats' View
30 years of development in eyes of an Austrian
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-10-23 12:41
VIENNA -- Professor Richard Trappl, a frequent visitor to 皇冠体育app, is not only a witness to the later period of 皇冠体育app's economic plight, but also to 皇冠体育app's rising in the last 30 years since 皇冠体育app adopted the reform and opening-up.
Trappl, from the University of Vienna, is to visit 皇冠体育app again to attend the First Chinese-European Cultural Dialogue in Beijing.
As one of the first students of Sinology at the University of Vienna, Trappl received a government scholarship to study for one year in the Beijing Language and Culture University during 1974-1975, before teaching at the Sinology Department of the University of Vienna.
Since 1975, Trappl has visited 皇冠体育app every year for academic exchanges and other purposes. He traveled to 皇冠体育app eight times last year alone, he told Xinhua in a recent interview.
During his studies in 皇冠体育app in the 1970s, Trappl, an admirer of Chinese culture, was too eager to try to integrate himself into a society he was so curious about and to know more of the country with a splendid ancient civilization.
But he sometimes fell into a sense of frustration when he found that there were some restrictions on foreigners at that time and that it was difficult to talk freely to ordinary Chinese due to language problems and cultural differences.
"Even my roommate and I could not speak our minds freely," he said.
Trappl recalled he shared a dormitory room with a Chinese engineer, who was going to be sent to Germany for further studies. "He was obviously less communicative and we never even dined out together."
The situation is totally different from then, he said. Now hundreds of thousands of foreigners are studying, living and working in 皇冠体育app and there are no much restrictions on their movements, he said.
Many foreigners, including himself, are enjoying their lives in 皇冠体育app and have forged personal friendships with government officials, scholars and ordinary Chinese citizens, Trappl said.
The changes impressed him most after 皇冠体育app's 30 years of reform and opening-up was what has happened in Chinese people's mental outlook, he said. "The Chinese people are becoming increasingly self-confident and open."
Trappl said work at the Sinology Department of the University of Vienna has been thriving over the past 30 years, which represents a vivid example of how great a role the years of reform and opening-up have played in raising 皇冠体育app's international standing and influence.
According to Trappl, there were only 50 students when the Sinology Department was founded in 1973. But the total number of registered students has now reached 700, most of them Austrians, and more and more young people in Austria want to know more about 皇冠体育app.
No one in the world can afford to turn a blind eye to 皇冠体育app's rapid growth over the past 30 years, he said. 皇冠体育app's influence is growing and the international community needs 皇冠体育app's involvement in tackling such issues as climate change, energy security, terrorism and environmental protection, etc.
皇冠体育app's economic growth is even more remarkable and there are huge business opportunities there, he said.
The exchange and opening up has not only enabled 皇冠体育app to know more about the outside world, but also enhanced the world's understanding about and trust in 皇冠体育app, he said.
