BEIJING, May 5 -- The "New Normal" is significant both to China and the world, said Ambassador of Nepal to China Mahesh Kumar Maskey in a written interview with Xinhuanet lately.

During the past over 30 years since its reform and opening up, China surprised the world by maintaining a high GDP growth rate even amidst major global economic meltdowns and achieving 7.4 percent growth rate last year, the ambassador said.

The surprise doubles considering China's population size, he said, analogizing: "the fattest boy in the class leaves others far behind in a race."

However, the cost of high speed growth exerts severe pressure on environment and quality of life, he noted.

"The overheated engine of growth needed to cool down, sole criterion of GDP growth rate as achievement needed to shift towards green and sustainable development, " he said.

He noted that changes are presented in the concept of "New Normal", a conscious lowering of GDP growth target and emphasis on quality of growth.

Now China's economy has shifted its economic gear from the previous high speed to a medium-to-high speed. China's emphasis on protecting environment and dealing with climate change has tremendous implication to China and the world, he stressed.