60 foreigners who helped shape China's 60 years
- Source: Global Times
- [02:58 September 18 2009]
- Comments
The 60 most influential foreigners voted for in a poll by Global Times Chinese readers and experts all have played a vital role in China's 60 years of development. Photo: Globaltimes
By Global Times staff
Looking back on the nation's 60 years of tremendous changes, it's evident that foreigners have been much more than witnesses in the development of the People's Republic of China.
Whether intentionally or accidentally, directly or indirectly, positively or negatively, they have become important pieces of the China puzzle – helping shape and globalize the nation.
With the country's 60th birthday less than two weeks away, the Global Times' Chinese edition has been running a poll on its website, huanqiu. com, to identify the "most influential foreigners" among 200 candidates suggested by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
In all, 70 percent of the finalists were selected by Internet users, and 30 percent were recommendated by academics. The newspaper balanced the results from Internet users and experts to finalize the top 60.
From Asia, Europe, America and Africa, the 60 foreigners have played their part in more than 300 years of history, from the Newtonian era to modern times. They comprise 20 political and military leaders, 17 cultural and philosophical experts, nine economic and entrepreneurial professionals, eight sports/entertainment figures and six inventors.
Marx and Lenin enlightened China; Richard Nixon and former Singapore president Lee Kuan Yew promoted China; Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton have impressed generations of Chinese; and Michael Jordan and Bill Gates became idols of young Chinese, to name a few.
These foreigners and many others have helped push China forward in areas of politics, economics, culture, science, and even the way Chinese think and live.
