PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong has commended China's great achievements since the country adopted the policy of reform and opening up 30 years ago, saying Beijing can play a more constructive and positive role in the international arena.

In an interview with Xinhua before he began his official visit to China on Wednesday, Mr Lee described China's transformation since 1978 as 'enormous'.

'This is an enormous achievement, not just in terms of economic growth, but the change of mindsets, the awareness of what is happening in the world and the dynamism of wanting to move forward,' he said.

PM Lee, who has visited China several times since taking office in 2004, said that the physical transformation of both urban and rural areas in country, as well as the high-quality infrastructure in the country, were impressive.

'I think there has not been anything like this in the world before,' he said, adding 'What is the most impressive is the way the Chinese people have mobilised.

'At every level in every city, in every province, you have leaders and people who are anxious to get ahead, who are participating in this transformation, who are thinking of new ideas to overcome their problems and move forward.'

On China's goal of pursuing a sustainable development, Mr Lee said that 'China's own population will increasingly want to make progress because standards of living are going up and the Chinese people want not just higher incomes but a balanced sustainable development.'

He added that China's peaceful development will benefit both Asia and the the rest of the world.

'Thirty years ago, China was a country with which we had historical links but only minimal economic ties. But now it is playing an active and major role in the region and we have very substantial economic relationship with it,' he said.

During Mr Lee's stay in Beijing until Oct 27, he will witness the signing of a comprehensive bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) between Singapore and China, the first such deal for an Asean country.

'This FTA is not just of bilateral significance, it also has broader implications,' Mr Lee said, adding that 'For China, it is a signal that despite the difficulties in the Doha Round, China still wishes to push forward with promoting trade and openness with its partners.'

Mr Lee said that Asia has much to gain from China's success and confidence.

He expressed the belief that China can play an important role in international issues, said Xinhua.

He said China should play a constructive and positive role in the Doha Trade Round, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) discussions and on the Korean nuclear issue.