A float waits to take part in a parade of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, on Chang'an Street in central Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 1, 2009. (Xinhua/Li Gang) Photo Gallery>>>

    INDUSTRIAL, TRANSPORTATION LEAPS

    As the U.S. auto industry narrowly escaped a sudden collapse, China's auto makers have emerged as a symbol for the nation's industrial advance at the National Day parade.

    "Embark on a new road of industrialization," reads a slogan on the side of the float that carries China's homegrown passenger car.

    Sixty years ago, China had to import nearly all basic necessities for its citizens, from grain to matches.

    Beginning with the first five-year plan between 1953 and 1957,China took the former Soviet Union model which emphasized heavy industry. However, the unbalanced model left the ordinary people short of daily necessities.

    To revive the moribund industrial sector, which suffered during the 10-year turmoil of the Cultural Revolution, the government launched a sweeping reform in the late 1970s to inject market forces to boost productivity and made enterprises responsible for their own loss and profit.

    An over-emphasis on heavy industry was also shifted on to developing labor-intensive light industry, which gave millions of workers jobs.

    In the late 1970s, the reform and opening up policy brought new technology to China's workshops and helped sharpen its manufacturing skills in a variety of sectors such as the petrochemical industry, biology and textiles.

    Now China is the world's biggest steel maker and the fifth largest oil producer. It is also the largest exporter by value, sending goods from lighters to satellites to more than 200 countries across the world.

    Despite the gloomy global economy, China's auto production and sales exceeded 1 million units in the first seven months this year, surpassing the United States to become the world's top automaker.

    China is also able to produce the fastest train and working to develop its own jumbo aircraft, as their statues were placed on a model on a float.

    It had the world's second longest railway track lines, which extended from about 10,000 kilometers in 1949 to 80,000 kilometers by the end of last year.

    The world's fastest high speed trains are running between Beijing and Tianjin at 350 kilometers an hour.

    The government spending on transportation infrastructures was also beefed up this year, as 1.8 trillion yuan out of the 4-trillion-yuan stimulus package would be used to upgrade roads, railways and airports.     

    GREEN DRIVE PUSHES CHANGES IN ENERGY USE

    The word of "EARTH" printed on the T-shirts worn by the paraders were among a few English letters shown at the National Day pageant.

    They underscored China's resolution to preserve energy and cut pollution to restore ecological environment, which had been severely degraded after years of double-digit economic expansion.

    "Environmental protection is in the interests of the current and future generations", and "Striving to develop clean energy", read the slogans on the floats.

    As the world's top energy producer and the second largest energy consumer, it has taken several decades for China to rely on its own energy supply, mostly coal-fired power to drive the double-digit growth.

    However, as Chinese people have begun to realize that any economic miracle without proper care for the environment will still be a failure, significant improvements have been made as the government massively increases environmental protection spending and develops renewable energy to replace fossil fuel.

    According to a state guideline released in 2006, China promised to lower emissions by 10 percent and reduce its energy consumption per unit of GDP by 20 percent between 2005 and 2010. That equaled to a reduction of 1.5-billion-tonne greenhouse emission, or 300 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

    To meet that end, China has been pushing forward economic restructuring by cutting high energy costs and high-emissions projects, and by eliminating backward capacity in electricity, steel, and glass industries.

    Efforts were also made to develop renewable energy, such as wind power and solar power.

    From 2006 to 2008, China cut its energy consumption per unit of GDP by 10.1 percent, which meant it saved 300 million tonnes of standard coal and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 750 million tonnes.

    China renewed its green promise to the world and Chinese President Hu Jintao pledged to cut carbon emissions by a "notable margin" by 2020 from the 2005 level at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 22.