NEW YORK, March 15 (Xinhua) -- With its huge economy and deep-rooted history and culture, China will develop "in its own way," said an expert on China-U.S. cultural exchanges.

"It's going to be something different (from the West's development) and I think that can be very positive for the whole world," said Shirley Young, chair of the U.S.-China Cultural Institute, in a recent interview with Xinhua. "It's very hard for people who assume that you are just going to follow the way we think."

"There is always an assumption: the rest of the world would follow exactly what the western world has done. The expectation was that (they) go from capitalism, a market economy, to the same kinds of governmental and social structures," she said.

She also said that the messages sent to the world from China's ongoing annual "two sessions" -- the plenary gatherings of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, are "very clear."

"That's what (Chinese President) Xi Jinping is trying to do, to develop what it is going to be Chinese characteristics, the Chinese way, based upon Chinese culture, Chinese history, a Chinese way of thinking, Chinese people's needs, Chinese geography, the Chinese economic situation," she also said.

"Xi has made clear his vision for the 'new era' and for China, (and that is) to help the people to develop, eliminate poverty, improve the environment, improve living standards for all Chinese, and not to simply develop at any expense," Young said.

China's rapid rise in the last 40 years has proven that the country has chosen the right path of development based on its political and economic conditions, she noted.

"I was there in 1980s. That's almost 40 years ago, so I've seen the whole process (of change)," said Young, who served as Corporate Vice President of U.S. auto maker General Motors (GM) from 1988 to 1999. As then-Vice President for China Strategic Development and Asia Pacific Counselor, she had key involvement with GM's investment in China.

"When I go back to China, I feel like the country was asleep and is now waking up. It is very pure," she said.

She said with the success of the past 40 years, in particular the last 20 years, China is going to find its own way, and it certainly won't be the "western way."