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Premier Wen Jiabao expressed optimism about China's ability to battle the impact of the current global economic crisis and emphasized the importance for the world to maintain confidence against the crisis during his recent European tour. The Chinese leader's confidence was not groundless. The brisk shopping in consumer markets throughout cities and rural areas in the past "golden week" of Spring Festival was the best evidence of such confidence. According to the Ministry of Commerce, Chinese people spent a total of 290 billion yuan ($42.6 billion) shopping for the lunar new year celebration. More noteworthy is the fact that the spending was a 13.8 percent growth on the basis of the same period of last year although the global recession is also felt in this country. The optimistic mood was also demonstrated by more than 100 million tourists who traveled to domestic and foreign destinations during the seven days. Admittedly, China is also suffering from the impact of the global crisis. Reduction in foreign orders for Chinese products has left thousands of Chinese plants shut down and millions of workers jobless. Then why are Chinese people still so optimistic? Are they numb before the looming threats? Chinese people are definitely not engrossed in a mood of blind optimism. They know the latent hazards; but they have not lost their basic confidence. This confidence stems from their understanding that the essential elements of China's economy have not changed and the development mode they have chosen in the 30 years of reform and opening-up drive has not changed. | 
