Hu Angang, an economist and leading strategic analyst, predicted last week that China's GDP (gross domestic product) by 2020 will account for 22 per cent of world's total.

China will surpass the United States in terms of economic power by 2015, when China contributes 17.5 per cent to the global economy, he said.

Hu is director of the Centre for China Studies. The centre was established by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tsinghua University.

The forecast was based on detailed analysis of China's natural resources, personnel resources, capital strength, science and technology development, military power and international relations.

China's comprehensive national power, which was one-fifth of the United States' in 1980 and one-third in 1998, has been progressing, Hu said.

(China Daily 01-04-2003)