Source

BERLIN, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt on Thursday warned Western nations against arrogance toward China.

Speaking at the German Council on Foreign Relations, a Berlin-based think tank, Schmidt said Western countries should "renounce arrogance as well as patronizing moral and political preaching" in dealing with China. 

It is more appropriate for the West to show respect for China, which is home to the oldest living culture in the world, Schmidt said.

The West must understand that China’s rise in technology, science and business cannot be prevented, and the further advancement of China should be accepted "at least as a fact of life," said the 89-year-old retired statesman.

He recommended that China be involved in a "cooperative management," and in dealing with world economy as well as all other major global political and environmental issues, be treated on an equal footing with the United States, Japan, Russia and the European Union.

China’s rise is not a threat to the world, emphasized Schmidt.

The former chancellor also held that the reunification of Taiwan with the Chinese mainland is inevitable in the long run. The West should allow reunification to take place between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland "without political obstruction," he advised.

In the question-and-answer session after his speech, Schmidt also touched upon the Tibet issue. He said people should know that Tibet had always been a "theocracy" in the past, and it was the Communist Party of China that abolished serfdom in the region.