David Field, a 42-year-old English teacher from Australia, pays as much attention to China's participation in world affairs as his campus career.

"China is playing the role of mediator. Its hosting of the six- party talks forces the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to sit at the negotiating table and work toward a peaceful solution," said Field, who has been working in Beijing for four years.

China, as the host of the six-country talks, has tried to mediate in the nuclear dispute since the first round of talks were staged in Beijing in 2003.

But the talks have not been held since November due to the lack of mutual confidence between the United States and the DPRK.

China has emerged as a rising power in the global arena in recent years thanks to its strong economic surge. China intends to provide Asia and the world with international "public goods" which benefit most people, analysts say.

"Public goods," an economic concept also used in international relations, refer to universally agreed intangible mechanisms, rules, systems or ideas that can benefit all members of the international community.

"In the future, China will provide more international public goods in many areas," said Shi Yinhong, a professor with the People's University of China.

China will enhance friendly cooperation with developing nations, promote the construction of a regional cooperation mechanism and establish a fair and harmonious world, said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in the government work report at the opening meeting of the National People's Congress (NPC) annual session on Sunday.

"It indicates that China takes international obligations seriously and aims to shoulder its responsibilities," said Tao Wenzhao, a researcher from the Institute of American Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The provision of international public goods was once monopolized by the developed countries and their allies.

"China is now offering international public goods, which can benefit the region and the world," said Wang Jinyou, an NPC deputy from East China's Shandong Province.

"China will try its best to bring benefits to the Chinese people and people all over the world," Wang added.

China, embracing its new concept of security featuring mutual trust, equality and coordination, pledges to work closely with the world to tackle global security issues, analysts say.

In Asia, China participates in more than 40 regional security and economic forums. At the beginning of 2006, China sponsored a fund-raising conference on fighting bird flu, and announced a donation of 10 million U.S. dollars.

China also pledged to write off debts of under-developed countries and provide 10 billion U.S. dollars of preferable loans to the developing countries. China is working with other countries on the Iranian nuclear standoff.

"China's own development path with its own characteristics offers the biggest public goods to the world, and the developing countries in particular," said Tao.

"China's fast growth tells the world that each poor country could discover its own development path suitable to its own conditions," Tao added.

The Chinese government is interested not only in its own people but also in world population, said Serge Abou, European Union Ambassador to China.

China's idea of building a "harmonious world" is actually an extension of its idea of a "harmonious society" at home. It demonstrates that China is a responsible nation, Abou said.

Source: Xinhua