60 foreigners who helped shape China's 60 years
- Source: Global Times
- [02:58 September 18 2009]
- Comments
Of the 60 most influential foreigners voted for in a poll by Global Times Chinese readers and experts, some are hardly known outside of China, while others seem even less known by ordinary Chinese. All have played a vital role in China's 60 years of development, say the experts.
The 60 are not ranked, but arranged according to birthdate. Regardless of name recognition or celebrity status, the Chinese experts interviewed by the Global Times Chinese newspaper all agreed these foreigners had exerted their own profound impact upon New China.
Interestingly, among all the 60, there is only one woman: Margaret Thatcher, the "Iron Lady" of Great Britain.
Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Beijing University, told the Global Times that the foreigners could be classified into three types: the first type is those who are symbolic of Western civilization such as Newton, philosopher Jean- Jacques Rousseau and Ludwig van Beethoven. They are the driving force of human civilization and still exert great influence on the world of today.
The second type are those closely related to China's global strategy after China won an important position in the international community such as Henry Kissinger and former Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka.
The third type are those who have influenced Chinese society after China began reform and opening-up, such as fashion designer Pierre Cardin, Bill Gates and Michael Jackson. They are mostly entrepreneurs and celebrities in the entertainment or sports fields, and have changed Chinese people's way of living and values.
"This list shows how Chinese society has changed," Zhang said. In the last six decades, Chinese society has transformed from a politics-centered to an economy-oriented culture. Of the 60 people, the big political and military names can be found in nearly every important period of history, but the Cold War period contains the most, with Truman and Stalin symbolic of that period.
Economically, the most influential people would be found after the 1980s.
"Armand Hammer, Boeing and Panasonic were the earliest big names. Then Bill Gates and Berners-Lee followed, driving the information revolution. Then there were financial investors such as Soros and Buffet. The development of the Chinese economy can be clearly observed on this list," Zhang said.
In the 60 foreigners, scientists are mostly chosen from the past. "Before industrialization, scientific inventions deeply depended on individual genius," said Jin Canrong, vice-director of the School of International Studies of Renmin University of China.
"In applying scientific and technological achievements to industrialized society, individuals have played a weaker role in invention."
Most scientific innovation is now a more systematic process involving corporate backing, making it hard to throw up a genius. In the cultural and philosophical fields, the chosen foreigners also come from an older era. Jin said recognition for individual achievement in culture must stand the test of time. "Time selects the superior and eliminates the inferior, choosing the thoughts which impact upon human civilization in the long term," he said.
