China celebrates 75 years

At inception, nation could not produce a single motor vehicle.

- Brian Sokutu

As government bigwigs, diplomats, academics and scholars raised a glass to toast the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China now the world's second-largest economy - Chinese ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng, on Thursday reminded the formally and colourfully-dressed audience in Pretoria that 70 years ago, China could not produce a single car.

According to Wu, watches, bicycles and sewing machines nicknamed "the big three" - were the only luxury items seen by Chinese people "for quite a long time".

"In 1949, China's per capita national income was only $27 [about R450]. "Our economic output was less than 5% of the world's total," Wu said.