China's integration into the global world economy was the biggest project of the twentieth century.

When he initiated the reformation process in China, the target of Deng Xiaoping was evident. He sought to quadruple China's growth rate over the two decades ahead. This corresponded to an annual average of 7.2 percent growth. Back then, everyone thought that this was mission impossible. But China's experience proved everyone wrong including Deng Xiaoping. Today let me introduce you Lin Yifu and tell how China mistaken Deng.

In 1979, China was a closed poor economy. Per capita income stood around US$182. Over the last three decades average annual growth rate reached 9.9 percent and per capita income rose to US$3,688 by 2009. Over the last three decades, 600 million residents of our beautiful blue planet were lifted out of poverty. China became a middle income country. Share of foreign trade in national income elevated from 10 to 65 percent. China overtook Japan becoming the second biggest economy of the world. It surpassed Germany in export of industrial exports becoming the world leader. The face of Shanghai has changed. China's performance has even surprised Deng Xiaoping.

Not only Deng but everyone was so mistaken that Chinese economists has become even more popular in development topics. For instance, Justin Lİn Yifu, Chief Economist of the World Bank, is Chinese though his assignment did not much occupy the agenda being it was at the severe days of the global crisis. He was the first Chinese man who studied for a PhD. Degree in Chicago University in Milton Friedman's times. In 1970's he was a model nationalist soldier in Taiwan. However, in 1979 he defected to mainland China by swimming. Taiwan still considers him missing. Nowadays, everyone asks him to explain the Chinese experience in a comprehensible way. And he does this with joy. To those who ask whether he belongs to the market economy or the Marxist economics, he responds 'I being to both'. I have been telling you, "Dooms days is soon; there are many signs!"

Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank, expressed China's experience in Beijing as 'a great leap forward in combating poverty. But a Great Leap Forward was the name of Mao's economic modernization program of 1958-1961 through collectivization of Chinese agriculture and it proved unsuccessful in terms of concerns then. Then came Deng and the development strategy has changed. Opening of the economy then closing it came to fore. Collective farms of Mao's times started to operate as capitalist enterprises. They kept up with the times. After all, in those times 'it did not matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice.' China was trying to make it to the shore and become prosperous. Chinese revolution finally achieved its purpose. China made a great leap forward.

China's integration into the global world economy was the biggest project of the twenty first century. I see two lessons in Lin Yifu's story: First, the way to achieve the objective of getting prosperous is learning how to dance not fight with the times. Second, state intervention is of critical importance for development. And about the 'income level is low in China, domestic market is weak' argument: in 1990's storehouses in China were full of televisions, refrigerators and automobiles. But no one consumed those. Why? Was it because they suffered low incomes? No. In a country as China, the prerequisite of buying a television is not being able to afford it. The prerequisite is having electricity at your house. Similarly, the prerequisite for buying an automobile is road and oil station network being already installed. What is the critical point, then? It is relating to successful identification of priorities.

The biggest project of the new era is the integration of the Muslim geography into the global economy. And this is exactly what underlies Turkey's importance.

This commentary was published in Radikal daily on 30.10.2010