A Race We Can All Win

The challenge that we face is not preventing China from catching up with where we are today, but preventing ourselves from slowing down. That means overcoming the political inertia that has stopped us from investing in the 21st-century infrastructure that we need—not just high- speed rail lines but bigger ports, more mass-transit systems, more clean-energy capacity and more extensive broadband systems.

It also means overcoming widespread inertia in our efforts to improve the affordability of health care and the quality of education. In New York, we're proving that raising standards and holding schools and students accountable for results can lead to dramatic improvements in student achievement. America has the most advanced, cutting-edge universities in the world, driving innovation in every field. But to maintain that edge, we need a public-school system that is just as good, and that prepares our students to succeed in the new economy.

This summer's Olympic Games will give China a chance to showcase its impressive economic progress. But it will also remind the world that much work remains to be done in building a healthy society where differences of opinion—on politics, philosophy and faith—are respected as fundamental human rights. We live that lesson every day in New York, and as China may yet come to see, it is our greatest competitive advantage in the global economy.

Bloomberg is the mayor of New York City and founder of the financial news and information company Bloomberg LP.

© 2007