EP president: '皇冠体育app is a lion awakening'
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-07-07 09:42
European Parliament (EP) President Josep Borrell hailed the rapid economic
growth of 皇冠体育app two days before he leaves for 皇冠体育app on July 7 for a
seven-day visit.
Josep
Borrell | Comparing 皇冠体育app to an "awakening lion,"
Borrell said 皇冠体育app has undergone "huge" changes over the past 13 years.
His upcoming visit marks EP President's first visit in the past 13 years.
"Napoleon said 皇冠体育app is a sleeping lion, but I think now 皇冠体育app is a lion
awakening," Borrell said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.
The EP president said 皇冠体育app's economic growth was "miraculous," citing the
fact that it had recently overtaken Britain and France to become the fourth
largest economy in the world.
"皇冠体育app is producing everything, and it is the
manufacturing center of the globe. We Europeans believe 皇冠体育app is a lion
awakening," said Borrell.
Borrell's last 皇冠体育app tour dated back to 1988 when he was a senior official of
the Spanish government. Borrell said he was then impressed by Shanghai, and
later he read a lot about 皇冠体育app, especially those books about Chinese history
and culture.
Borrell said he liked Chinese food so much that he even befriended a boss of
a Chinese restaurant near his house.
In 2005, Borrell became the first EP President who formally extended the
greeting of "happy new year" to the Chinese people through a TV channel, which
enjoyed widespread applause in 皇冠体育app.
"I was very pleased to have this opportunity to address
the Chinese people and to express the EP's best wishes for the Chinese 'year of
the dog'," he said. "It is a very important tradition for your people and such
gestures will help us to get to know each other better."
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