East-West Questions·chinadialogue丨From the ancient Silk Road to the "Belt and Road", how can Eastern culture gain self-confidence?

　　More than 2,000 years ago, the Silk Road that traversed Asia and Europe was the link between the East and the West for business and humanities. The ancient Silk Road has important implications for the exchanges and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations.

　　Today, the great power game, the crisis in Ukraine, the turmoil in the Middle East... Eurasia, the land that carries the memory of important civilizations of mankind, is regarded as the center of global geopolitics and economic competition.

　　In this regard, China News Agency "Ask East and West China Dialogue" invited Xing Guangcheng, member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and director of the China Frontier Research Institute, Ji Kaiyun, director of the Center for Iranian Studies at Southwest University, and Nathaniel, assistant professor of the Iranian Academy of Arts and director of the Oriental Department. Silin started the conversation.

　　Experts said that the ancient Silk Road witnessed the exchanges of civilizations at different stages of human development.

It enlightens the world today: civilizations need to be open and learn from each other, not closed and decoupled; they need equality and respect, not self-importance.

At present, the United States and other countries frequently "lay mines" and "add obstacles" in the geopolitics of Asia and Europe. The strategic intention to hinder the interconnection between Asia and Europe is obvious, and behind it is the narrow "theory of superiority of civilization".

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Excerpts from the conversation are as follows:

The Silk Road witnesses the mutual learning of civilizations at different stages

China News Agency reporter: The ancient Silk Road was a road of civilization connecting Asia, Europe and Africa.

From the ancient Silk Road to today's "Belt and Road", why is the interconnection between Asia and Europe so important?

Xing Guangcheng:

In 138 BC, Zhang Qian went on a mission to the Western Regions. Sima Qian had a very classic summary called "hollowing out"—that is, the Silk Road was almost completely connected from Europe to Asia.

Now we propose the "Belt and Road", which means that in the 21st century, human beings still need to further realize interconnection in the Eurasian and African continents.

Naslin:

Now we regard the Silk Road as a road of civilization exchanges, because of the rich humanities exchanges based on trade on this road since ancient times.

China and Iran on the Silk Road have a long history of civilization exchanges. For example, people often hear a saying that an Iranian king gave a lion as a gift to the Chinese emperor.

Lion, called Sheir in Persian, is called "lion" after coming to China.

It can be said that the Chinese lion dance is also a dance of friendship between Chinese and Iranian civilizations.

　　However, young Iranians now know little about the ancient Silk Road culture. When it comes to Chinese culture, they may only think of Chinese food, martial arts, business, etc.

Therefore, we also need to teach these college freshmen who are interested in oriental culture, the religions and languages ​​of China and Iran, so that the young people of the two countries can understand each other.

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China News Agency reporter: Naslin has been engaged in the research of Silk Road culture for a long time, and recently published a new book "Chinese Elements in Iranian Miniature Paintings". What is the significance of these studies for the current mutual learning of civilizations?

Naslin:

In order to show the history of artistic exchanges between Chinese and Iranian civilizations in the best way, I have done research in China for four or five years.

In this illustrated book, we describe the Chinese influence on Iranian painting during China's Yuan Dynasty and showcase the time-honored friendship between the two ancient civilizations.

Therefore, I hope this will help people who are interested in oriental art, especially the art of the two civilizations of China and Iran, to deepen their understanding of the friendship between the two civilizations.

China News Agency reporter: As two important civilizations on the ancient Silk Road, China and Iran have a history of more than 2,000 years of civilizational exchanges. What are the practical implications of this exchange?

Ji Kaiyun:

There are striking similarities between the two civilizations of China and Iran.

In ancient times, the two major civilizations had influenced neighboring countries; in modern times, both were humiliated and oppressed by the great powers; and in the present and contemporary times, the two major civilizations are seeking national rejuvenation and a modernization process with national characteristics.

　　This kind of friendly exchange inspires us. First, we must have a high degree of self-consciousness and self-esteem for our own civilization; second, any civilization has its strengths and should be tolerant and learn from each other; third, every civilization has a reason for long-term survival.

China and Iran are a model of civilization exchanges in the Eurasian continent for 2,500 years. History has taught us that only on the premise of equality, openness, and mutual learning and mutual benefit can world civilizations produce more brilliant results. This is the impact of China-Iran civilization exchanges on globalization today. , the most profound enlightenment of mutual learning among civilizations.

Data map: Bingling Temple Grottoes in Yongjing County, Gansu Province on the Silk Road.

Photo by Yang Yanmin issued by China News Agency

From "looking up" to "looking up",

It is the return of oriental culture with confidence

Reporter from China News Service: We used to say "worship the foreign", but now many Chinese young people like the "national trend" and "Chinese current". What historical logic can we see from the changes in the attractiveness of eastern and western cultures?

Xing Guangcheng:

When I was young, I could still hear many old people call kerosene "foreign oil" and matches "matches".

The word "foreign" represents a sense of foreignness that we cannot describe, which is actually cultural attraction.

We used to look up to the West, but now we no longer look up, but look up. We have a more objective understanding of the West, and regard Western culture as a civilization carrier that communicates with us on an equal footing. The attraction of Eastern and Western cultures is not one-way, but two-way. , Multidirectional.

　　The main support for this change in mentality is the rise of China.

We have tasted the sweetness of reform and opening up, the sweetness of globalization, and the sweetness of mutual learning among civilizations. The door of opening up will be opened wider and wider.

At the same time, the higher the degree of cultural self-confidence, the more we can feel that we have the reason and the obligation to make more Chinese contributions to human civilization.

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Reporter from China News Agency: Has the younger generation of Iran "returned to their own national culture or Eastern culture with confidence"?

Na Silin:

I very much agree with Professor Xing’s point of view. We emphasize the protection of our own culture, language and civilization, but this does not mean being closed. We should have close contacts with other civilizations on the premise of mutual respect.

　　In the past ten years, more and more young Iranians are interested in oriental culture. Universities have Chinese departments, and many freshmen choose to learn Chinese every year.

From a practical point of view, Chinese is the second most spoken language in the world, and many students believe that learning Chinese will help them find a good job and earn a good income in the future.

From a deeper level, they are attracted by Chinese culture, and when learning Chinese, they also want to get in touch with Chinese culture and art.

　　"Confidence return" is a very good term.

In fact, the American culture we often talk about now has a not very long history, only a few hundred years, and it cannot even be called a culture.

The East has a profound accumulation of civilizations. Iran and China, as the two major civilizations bound together by the Silk Road, should now have better demonstrations of civilization exchanges.

Why is the United States so entangled in the "Belt and Road" initiative?

China News Agency reporter: In recent years, people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and some Western countries have been limited. How do you view the impact of political manipulation on the integration of civilizations?

Ji Kaiyun:

After more than 40 years of reform and opening-up in China and its integration into globalization, the self-interested mentality of the West has been highlighted: you cannot be richer or equal to me, and the benefits of globalization should only belong to me.

Therefore, when China becomes the builder and defender of the international order, they would rather not have such an international order.

　　In addition, some people in Europe and the United States have always had arrogance and prejudice against Chinese culture and oriental culture.

They stubbornly believe that oriental culture is ignorance, backwardness, and autocracy. Under ideological prejudice, they have arrogance in civilization, and this arrogance further deepens prejudice.

China News Agency reporter: Some people believe that the frequent actions of the United States in Eurasian geopolitics have only one purpose, which is to hinder the economic integration of Eurasia. How to explain it?

Xing Guangcheng:

This year, the United States has made great efforts behind the Ukraine crisis. Objectively, it has an impact on the Silk Road Economic Belt and the "five links" between Europe and Asia, because it has already started a war.

At the same time, he is also working on the Indo-Pacific economic framework at sea, and will be a blockage point on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The United States continues to create new blocking points for Asia and Europe on land and sea. This strategic intention is very obvious.

　　The "Belt and Road" does not exclude the United States, and hopes that the United States will participate, but "you will not participate unless you take the lead. If you want to participate, you must take the lead and listen to your words." This kind of imperial thinking is no longer suitable for the development of the 21st century.

Data map: On December 12, 2022, the 1900th train of the China Railway Express (Qilu) opened smoothly.

The picture shows the Kailu "Qilu" train.

Photo courtesy of Shandong Expressway

China News Agency reporter: How can the United States and the West understand the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations beyond ideology?

Ji Kaiyun:

In the era of globalization, China cannot be separated from the world, and the world cannot be separated from China.

Reviewing the mutual learning of civilizations along the ancient Silk Road is conducive to enhancing the communication and understanding between the East and the West in terms of national psychology and cultural beliefs.

"Decoupling" is by no means in the interests of the people of the world, nor in the interests of China and the United States.

The clamor for "decoupling" shows that American politicians are narrow-minded and short-sighted. In fact, they cannot be decoupled. It is not that the Chinese do not want to "decouple", and the interests of the United States also require that "decoupling" cannot be achieved.

Xing Guangcheng:

We propose the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, because today mankind is facing a lot of common problems, including climate, disasters, poverty, etc. To deal with these threats, we can only work together and share our destiny.

Elevating to the level of civilization requires emphasizing dialogue among civilizations, emphasizing that civilizations are equal and there is no distinction between good and bad.

The West must eliminate the prejudice of "superior civilization". If the Anglo-Saxons are considered to be inherently superior to others, this is a distortion of the understanding of civilization.