A U.S. economist who has observed China's transformation for over four decades voiced strong confidence in the country's future, saying his views are rooted in firsthand experience and careful analysis rather than optimism alone.
In an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG) aired on Friday, Jeffrey Sachs, a professor of economics at Columbia University, expressed firm confidence in China's economic prospects -- confidence built on more than 40 years of close engagement with the country.
Sachs spoke of his deep ties with China, having witnessed its remarkable development over four decades and having maintained strong professional and personal connections with the country.
"I've watched China's development with my own eyes for 44 years now, because I first came to China in 1981. I've been coming back regularly since then. I've studied the Chinese economy for these four decades. I have many colleagues, many students, many friends, many work projects in China for more than 40 years," he said.
Sachs emphasized that his confidence in China stems from what he has seen and studied firsthand.
"So the confidence that I have comes from a lifetime of experience with China, watching China's development, being involved in analytical ways in China’s western development, watching China’s technological development, visiting small companies like Huawei, which became very big giants for the world, and so forth. So I've seen this with my own eyes. China has even outperformed those expectations. But my optimism is based on grounded experience and analysis," he continued.
Confidence in China stems from firsthand experience, analysis: U.S. scholar
