"As it grows, China should do more in solving the world's problems, but only according to its capabilities," said Wang Dong, a researcher with Peking University's School of International Studies.

China has made consistent efforts in helping the world out of the financial crisis, among other initiatives. It has, for example, signed agreements with many neighboring economies on currency swaps to help regional financial stability.

Its economy expanded by an impressive 8.7 percent year-on-year in 2009, contributing to about half of the world's total economic growth.

Although it remains a developing country, expectations are high that it could do more to help the world, Wang said.

The mismatch partly comes from lack of understanding of China's real situation, said Yang Mian, researcher at Communication University of China.

"Many foreigners come to China but they mainly visit mega cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, where living standards are quite high," he said.

"But China is a country with very uneven development. In the countryside, for example, people in many places are far less affluent than those in Beijing or Shanghai and many are stuck in poverty.

"We should not become complacent with commendations from overseas as GDP keeps expanding."

The country's per capita GDP remains low, ranking 106th in the world in 2008, ahead of Iraq but behind Armenia, according to the International Monetary Fund. China also faces such problems as an inadequate social security network and poverty.

"China must learn to explain to the world what it really is," said Chen Gong, chairman of Beijing-based Anbound Consulting.