Since last year, 54-year-old Chen Baosheng, a rising leader of opinion in China, takes two hours from his busy daily schedule to cram himself with English.

"Mastering such a language can offer me a new window to the world," said Chen, who was promoted to vice-president of the Beijing-based Party School of Central Committee of Communist Party of China in 2008.

He took the position at the center of China's senior officials after he left poverty-hit Gansu province after nearly three decades of work there.

During the past 10 days, Chen has been on an academic visit to France and Belgium organized by the China Reform Forum. Through intensive interaction with academics and officials, he has not only picked up new English expressions but also sensed European concerns toward China in the post-crisis era.

"The Europeans I met have been obsessed with worries toward China, which has achieved far better success than expected in battling the global financial crisis," Chen said during an exclusive interview with China Daily on Tuesday before he flew back to Beijing.

"The worries and misunderstanding toward China are widespread in Europe," he said.

Following a 8.7-percent economic growth last year, China can definitely achieve a minimum eight-percent growth this year, Chen said. The shining figures came after 30 consecutive years of 10-percent annual economic growth following the country's reform and opening up in 1978.

In contrast, Europe is still in an economic slump and its jobless rate is on the rise due to the impact of the financial crisis which started in the US and the unfolding European sovereignty debt crisis.

"Since China did not use their market and democracy models in previous decades, Europeans themselves are astonished by China's success," said Chen. "In this context, some Europeans are even worrying about my country's future from an ideological perspective."

Some Europeans even believe they are losers in globalization and the market economy, while the Chinese are winners.

In addition, some countries are criticizing China for being tougher at the negotiating table and claiming its people are becoming arrogant. Chen said this finger-pointing is mainly due to China's insistent position to reform its currency exchange rate in a gradual, safe and controllable way.

However, if a poll were to survey how the ordinary Chinese look at the West, Chen said: "Their views and arguments, I think, would be mostly negative as well."

For example, while the European and American buyers are enjoying cheap goods made by Chinese workers, China is suffering from environmental woes and huge carbon emissions.

Some Chinese will criticize current problems in the West as the result of excessive consumption and lending, and they may say: "Look, they are making trouble but we are suffering."

And if the renminbi appreciates significantly, China's exports will be seriously hurt and millions of workers will lose their low-paying jobs.

Despite that, Chen said "worries and finger-pointing are useless" between China and Europe while the global economic and political order is experiencing tremendous shifts.

What's more, the European Union is still a powerful club of rich countries. "They are still full of dynamics and potentials and from this point of view, their worries toward China are unnecessary."

Insisting Beijing and Shanghai are only half the coin of China, Chen said there are about 140 million Chinese still living in poverty if calculated by UN standards.

Chen said China is determined to double its per capita income during the coming five years (2011-15) and to restructure its economy by boosting domestic consumption. Meanwhile, China is upgrading its economic model by imposing higher industrial and environmental standards to realize sustainable development.

"I think we need to guarantee at least 20 years of high-speed growth," said Chen. "This means tremendous opportunities for Europe as we will not only continuously open our market but also learn from them on how to govern the country."

Market status

However, further cooperation between China and Europe is not a zero-sum game. "Europe should offer benefits to China as well," he stressed.

First, the EU should lift its ban on high-tech exports to China, which can decrease its trade deficit, Chen said.

Second, Chen would like the EU to recognize China's market economy status as soon as possible, which he says China, as a World Trade Organization member, is entitled to have.

"The EU has such an intension on this issue, but it is not so firm because of the US," Chen said. "I hope the EU regards the recognition as a bilateral issue, instead of a multilateral one."