Political analyst says unique civilization and ancient philosophy make win-win future possible for all
People perform dragon dance outside the north division of Haidian culture center in Haidian district of Beijing, capital of China, Jan 14, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
As global economic power shifts from the West to the East, China’s unique culture and philosophy from ancient time can help unite both the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the wider world, said a Malaysian political analyst.
“Harmony in diversity, and not unity in disharmony, for instance, comes from the philosophy of Confucius,” noted Chin Yew Sin, a businessman and adviser for the Asia-Pacific region at the Global One Belt One Road Association.
Chin, who is of Chinese descent, recently shared his perspective on ancient Chinese philosophy’s role in international relations in an interview with China Daily.
China has a long civilization as evidenced by new archaeological discoveries at Liangzhu and Erlitou sites, which were mentioned by President Xi Jinping in his recent New Year message, he added.
China is not only a state by legal definition, Chin said, but also a civilization by itself. China has about 5,000 years of historical records and is the only ancient civilization that still exists with uninterrupted continuity for 5,000 years.
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“President Xi’s notion of peace and development as well as co-existence for mutual benefits is vital in resolving the current conflicts in the world,” said Chin, adding that many conflicts can be resolved or avoided by adhering to the concept of “harmony in diversity”.
Also, Chinese culture always believes in a win-win outcome, which indicates that there is adequate space for everyone to develop, he said.
“China is well poised to become a peacemaker in the world,” Chin said, noting China’s foreign policy of peaceful co-existence, and non-interference.
However, in the mindsets of some Western leaders, there is no such thing as a win-win situation, he said. There is no such thing as a compromise for them, as they think one party will have to lose, Chin added.
The analyst pointed out that, in the 248 years since the US achieved independence in 1776, there have been less than 15 years where the US has not been at war with other nations.
Some countries “can’t survive economically without starting wars or conflicts with other nations”, he said.
“The reason is that (when) there is a war, oil price, and agricultural produce will go up, and weapons can be sold better. This is known as the ‘War Economy.’”
He noted that countries like those in ASEAN cannot depend on the US dollar as the country can weaponize the currency and those who rely on it will become victims.
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Children interact with lion dance performers outside the north division of Haidian culture center in Haidian district of Beijing, capital of China, Jan 14, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
As China is poised to become the largest economy in the world before 2035, many foreigners have begun to learn the Chinese language and its culture to trade with China more effectively
ASEAN countries should join BRICS — the recently expanded bloc started by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — as soon as possible so that the pace of de-dollarization can be faster for the benefit of its members.
ASEAN, with its 670 million population, is the second largest trading bloc in the world in terms of population after the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
One of President Xi’s biggest achievements has been to uplift the living standards of people in rural areas and eradicate the absolute poverty of 800 million people from the total population of 1.4 billion Chinese people, he said.
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President Xi has also carried out many development plans to revitalize and modernize China, including rural areas, through modern infrastructure developments and advanced digital technologies.
There is a saying in China, that one needs to build prosperity through infrastructure development, Chin said. Many roads and railways have increased accessibility to rural areas so that they can trade their produce.
Digital technologies such as e-commerce and smartphones have also played an important role in assisting rural people to sell their products to other parts of China and the world.
This undated photo shows Chin Yew Sin, Chin Yew Sin, a businessman and adviser for the Asia-Pacific region at the Global One Belt One Road Association. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
President Xi also launched the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013 to assist developing countries in the initiative to construct modern infrastructures to enhance the economic development in those countries. Chin noted that the initiative shows the difference between the two powers. “China constructs, US destructs”, he said.
He added that since assuming office in 2013, President Xi has made social, economic, technological, and military reforms. This has helped China to become rich and strong in all sectors, including politics, culture, education, and international diplomacy, Chin added.
The Chinese economy rose from having an insignificant GDP in 1978 to being the world’s second-largest economic power in less than 40 years. Chin said that he strongly believes that China should soon be able to become the largest economy in the world.
“China will lead the world in 2035, not only economically, but also technologically,” he said.
The hard power of China is its economic and technological strengths, whereas, Chinese culture is the soft power of China, Chin added.
As China is poised to become the largest economy in the world before 2035, many foreigners have begun to learn the Chinese language and its culture to trade with China more effectively. Right now, there are more than 200 million foreigners including overseas Chinese, who are learning or speaking Mandarin in their daily lives.
The essence of Chinese culture teaches the doctrine of “the golden mean” — or the most desirable outcome between two sides — which is very much different from the Western culture of “dominance”, Chin said.
Chinese culture has been widely accepted and acknowledged by many in the world as moderate and peaceful which can unite the whole world peacefully without wars, he added.
