Valuing the Core Values

By staff reporter ZHOU LIN

Wisdom and Belief of the East– Understanding the Chinese Values

Author: Han Zhen

Price: RMB 95

Paperback, 207 pages Published by Foreign Languages Press

China is increasingly taking center stage in the international arena, and people from around the world are particularly interested in the path the country has taken and the direction it is heading in.More importantly, they want to know what China can contribute to the world.All this curios№ may be boiled down to a seemingly simple question: How to understand China? However, it is not a question that is easily answered in just a few words.

The bookWisdom and Belief of the Easthas given a glimpse into the core values that the Chinese people cherish, which can be reflected in the way of the governance of the Communist Par¤of China (CPC), as well as the policies and development path it adopts.

The author, Han Zhen, is a professor of Philosophy at Beijing Normal Univers№ and is well-known for his cultural expertise.

“In ancient China, people feared a lack of equal№ more than a lack of proper¤, and they felt a crime should entail the same punishment whether it was committed by a prince or a pauper.These ideas were part of the core values that shaped the nation.To better understand the China of today, it is important to understand these values that the Chinese people embrace,” he writes at the very beginning of the book.

In the preface, he also pointed out that the age-old idea of harmonious coexistence is the cornerstone of the concept of “a commun№ with a shared future for human№.”

“To understand contemporary Chinese values, we must also have an appreciation for the multi-faceted exchanges Chinese people have with other peoples of the world,” he wrote, indicating that the Chinese culture has always grown stronger through exchanges and clashes with other cultures.The world will have more opportun§es for peaceful development if it adopts the Chinese value of “harmony in divers№.”

The contents of the book are organized into four chapters –comprising of “Building a Prosperous, Democratic, Culturally Advanced and Harmonious Country,” “Building a Socie¤ of Freedom,Equal№, Justice and with the Role of Law,” “Cultivating the Civic Virtue of Patriotism, Dedication, Integr№ and Friendliness,” and“Building a Commun№ with a Shared Future for Human№.”

In the first chapter, the core values discussed are those pertaining to prosper№, democracy, civil№, and harmony of the Chinese nation – which are a reflection of the will of the nation and the common desire of its people.To realize these values, China has to harness all its power to build a modern socialist country and contribute to the world’s peaceful development.

In the second chapter, “Freedom, equal№, justice and the rule of law”, which are also values of great significance for China in the social sphere which are discussed in detail.The aforementioned values embody the aspirations of contemporary Chinese people and answer the key question of what kind of socie¤ is to be built.

“Patriotism, dedication, integr№, and friendliness” are the answer to the question of what kind of civic virtues the Chinese people are to cultivate.These values are thoroughly discussed in the third chapter.The author draws a conclusion that every Chinese should be deeply patriotic, passionately devoted to work, full of integr№, and genuinely amiable in interpersonal relationships so as to make China and its socie¤ more prosperous.

The last chapter carries out an in-depth analysis of China’s peaceful development, which is seen as an event of great significance at the turning of the century, as China’s population is one fifth of the world’s total.Peaceful development has enabled China to focus on its own development, shake off pover¤, and become strong.And it will also be the prerequisite for the country to realize its national rejuvenation.What’s more, it has brought opportun§es for the world.

The author further noted that global multi-polarization, economic globalization, informatization, and cultural diversification are irresistible trends in the world today.Countries are becoming increasingly interconnected and interdependent, and there are many common challenges for people from different regions with different cultures.Unconventional secur№ threats such as food secur№, resource shortage, climate change, population explosion,epidemics, and transnational crimes pose severe challenges to the international order and human survival.

“The rise of China brings benefits not only to the Chinese nation but also to the entire human socie¤,” the author concludes in the book.Thereby, the book also serves as a window to showcase the unique charm of the Chinese culture, which respects differences among civilizations and learns from others.

“China’s history depends on the uniqueness of the Chinese people and on many other factors.But China’s enormous success has majorly grown out of China’s long-standing and institutionalized values and methodologies, which have been the code of conduct of the Chinese people for generations,” said Ann Lee, a former vis-§ng professor at Peking Univers№, an expert on China’s economic relations, and the CEO of Coterie – a new technology investment consortium.She agrees with Han’s conclusion while talking about China’s firm commitment to independent development in her book

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