◇In the course of the development of Chinese history, Hehe culture has a long history and contains profound philosophy of life and beautiful social ideals such as harmoniousness with others, working together with one heart,
political understanding and harmony, and internal and external obedience. It occupies a very important position in Chinese civilization.
It is the soul of a series of peaceful practices and peaceful thoughts of the Chinese nation.
◇Faced with common challenges, the only way out for mankind is to work together and live in harmony. Carrying forward the peaceful nature of Chinese civilization and following the trend of the times can inspire resonance among people of all countries, win the hearts of the world, and contribute Chinese wisdom to maintaining world peace and tranquility.
◇Throughout history, diversity and difference are the basic characteristics of human civilization. Different civilizations should insist on starting from the reality of their own country and nation, humbly learn and actively draw on the strengths and essence of other civilizations, eliminate barriers, prejudices, and hatred, and spread peace. the seed of an idea
From May 18 to 19, 2023, the China-Central Asia Summit was held in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. The picture shows the welcoming ceremony of the China-Central Asia Summit (photo taken on May 18, 2023). Photo by Shen Hong/This Journal
On June 2, 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping regarded “peace” as one of the five outstanding characteristics of Chinese civilization at the symposium on cultural inheritance and development, emphasizing: “Chinese civilization has outstanding peace” and “the peace of Chinese civilization nature, fundamentally determines that China will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order. It determines that China will continue to pursue exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations rather than engage in cultural hegemony. It determines that China will not put itself in the position of The imposition of values and political systems on others has determined that China will insist on cooperation, not engage in confrontation, and will never form a small circle where the party is the same as the other party."
This important conclusion must be deeply understood and accurately grasped with a profound historical vision and a broad world perspective, through the connection between ancient and modern times, and between China and foreign countries.
The formation of peace stems from
the unique history, thought, and cultural traditions of Chinese civilization
When looking at the present, it is advisable to learn from the past. Without the past, the present cannot be achieved. The Chinese nation has always been peace-loving and attached great importance to good neighborliness. During the development of civilization for more than 5,000 years, it has always pursued and inherited the firm concepts of peace, harmony and harmony. The reason for this is inseparable from the unique history, thought, and cultural traditions of Chinese civilization.
Peace practice has laid a solid historical foundation for the peaceful nature of Chinese civilization. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in a high-level summary: "Since ancient times, the Chinese nation has actively carried out foreign exchanges and trade, rather than foreign aggression and expansion; it has been obsessed with patriotism to defend the homeland, rather than colonialism to expand territory."
Historically, China has been one of the most powerful countries in the world for a long time. However, in its foreign exchanges, it has neither colonized nor invaded other countries, nor has it killed or enslaved the people of other countries. Instead, it has upheld and spread its splendid culture such as the concept of peace, and exported It is rich in silk, tea, porcelain and other products.
More than 2,000 years ago, the ancient Chinese opened up the Silk Road, promoting mutually beneficial cooperation and civilizational exchanges between the East and the West on an equal footing. More than 600 years ago, Zheng He led the world's most powerful fleet on seven ocean voyages and visited more than 30 countries and regions in Asia and Africa. He did not occupy an inch of land, but sowed the seeds of peace and friendship.
Historical practice has fully proved that being kind to neighbors and harmonious with all nations is the consistent way of life of the Chinese civilization.
The thought of peace provides the spiritual foundation for the peaceful nature of Chinese civilization. In its long and long history, Chinese civilization has formed a large number of original, speculative, and enlightening thoughts on peace, which have become important action guides for the Chinese nation.
The ancient Chinese people have long proposed and advocated "harmony without aggression", "stopping conflicts into force", "turning conflicts into jade and silk", "the country is peaceful and the people are safe", "the world is at peace", "love for all but not attack", "the strong do not hold on to the weak, the rich do not bully the poor" and "the world is peaceful" We are all brothers", "distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors", "relatives wish to be kind to relatives, neighbors wish to be kind to neighbors", "good neighbors and friendly relations", "no matter how big a country is, it will perish if it is warlike". "Sun Tzu's Art of War" is a famous military book in China, but its core idea is "Victory in a hundred battles is not a good thing; subduing the enemy's soldiers without fighting is a good thing." Its essence is to be cautious in war, not to fight, Stop the war.
These profound thoughts fully demonstrate the Chinese people's cherishment and love for peace.
Hehe Culture injects the soul of civilization into the peaceful nature of Chinese civilization. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Culture is the soul of a country and a nation." "Our insistence on the path of peaceful development is the inheritance and development of the peace-loving cultural tradition of the Chinese nation for thousands of years."
In the development process of Chinese history, Hehe culture has a long history. It contains profound philosophy of life and beautiful social ideals such as being in harmony with others, working together with one heart, being able to communicate with people in politics, and being docile both internally and externally. It occupies a very important position in Chinese civilization and is the core of the Chinese nation. The soul of a series of peaceful practices and peaceful thoughts.
For example, taking "harmony" as an objective law, it is proposed that "all living things are in harmony, and if they are the same, they will not continue." "Yan", "harmony is the creation of heaven and earth", "the so-called Tao of Taihe", "to achieve neutrality, how is the position of heaven and how is the cultivation of all things" and other views;
Taking "harmony" as the avenue to deal with the internal and external relations of a nation and a country, it puts forward views such as "honesty and harmony", "being kind and kind to neighbors is a national treasure" and "peace in national affairs can lead to victory";
Taking "harmony" as the law for dealing with the relationship between man and nature, he puts forward viewpoints such as "all things must have their own harmony to survive", "harmony between people and things" and "unity of nature and man";
Taking "harmony" as the standard for dealing with interpersonal and social relationships, it is proposed that "gentlemen are harmonious but different, villains are the same but not harmonious", "harmony is the most valuable thing for the purpose of etiquette", "no one is poor, harmony is not widowed", "the right time is not as good as the right place" "The geographical advantage is not as good as the harmony", "Harmony means one, one has many strengths", "Putting others before oneself" and other views.
Carrying forward the peaceful nature of Chinese civilization has great practical significance
“Those who are harmonious are the masters of the world.” The peaceful nature of Chinese civilization has a positive role in consolidating its roots, creating new ones, and helping the world and its people. Carrying forward the peaceful nature of Chinese civilization is of great practical significance.
Highlighting the national characteristics of the Chinese nation is an indispensable part of building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The civilization of a country and a nation is the collective memory of a country and a nation." "The deepest spiritual pursuit of a nation must be genetically sequenced in the national spirit passed down from generation to generation." "If Without the five thousand years of Chinese civilization, how could there be Chinese characteristics? If it were not Chinese characteristics, how could we have such a successful path of socialism with Chinese characteristics today?"
These important discussions highlight the great influence and far-reaching significance of Chinese civilization in shaping the national character and national characteristics of the Chinese nation. Every nation and civilization has developed to this day by inheriting the past and opening up the future. The Chinese nation has always been peace-loving. Working together with one mind and coexistence are the historical genes of the Chinese nation, which embodies the cosmology of the unity of man and nature, the international outlook of harmony among all nations, the social outlook of harmony in diversity, and the moral outlook of harmony among people. For more than 5,000 years, the desire for peace has always been the same. It has been integrated into the blood of the Chinese nation and has become a universal value and ideal pursuit of the Chinese people. Today it is still China's basic concept in handling international relations.
Only by not forgetting the original can we open up the future. To continue and demonstrate the characteristics of the Chinese nation and consolidate the historical foundation of the modern civilization of the Chinese nation, we must place the promotion of the peaceful nature of Chinese civilization in a prominent position.
It is conducive to creating and maintaining a peaceful and tranquil international environment and is in line with the fundamental interests of the Chinese people. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “History tells us that war is like a devil and a nightmare, bringing serious disasters and pain to the people, and we must be highly vigilant; peace is like air and sunshine, benefiting without realizing it, and losing it will be difficult to survive, and must be carefully maintained. "What the Chinese people fear is turmoil, what they seek is stability, and what they hope for is peace in the world."
The Chinese people have been brutally invaded and devastated by war in history, and they have unforgettable memories of the pain caused by the war. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, China relied on the hard work of its people and the maintenance of peace, rather than military expansion and colonial plunder, and gradually developed from a country with relatively backward economy and culture into the world's second largest economy.
The Chinese people, who have gone through hardships and endure hardships, cherish a peaceful and stable life. They are fully aware that any turmoil and war are not in the fundamental interests of the Chinese people, and are committed to creating and maintaining a world where all nations can enjoy peace and stability. Promoting the peaceful nature of Chinese civilization will help deepen countries' understanding of my country's determination to maintain peace, eliminate mutual misunderstandings, enhance mutual trust, and encourage other ethnic groups to join the Chinese nation in becoming a staunch force for peace.
Following the trend of the times of peace, development, cooperation and win-win can inspire resonance among people of all countries. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "If a country or a nation wants to revitalize, it must move forward in the logic of historical progress and develop in the trend of the times."
The world today is intertwined with chaos, and changes over the past century are accelerating. Although human civilization has developed to the highest level in history, wars are never far away. Regional conflicts occur frequently. Global challenges such as terrorism and climate change arise one after another. Hegemonic and bullying behaviors such as bullying, robbery, and zero-sum games are extremely harmful. Peace deficit, Development deficit, security deficit and governance deficit are highlighted. Peace or war, cooperation or confrontation, these have become questions that humans must answer.
In this regard, we must take a long-term view and correctly understand and grasp the general trend of the world and the trend of the times. Although factors of instability, uncertainty, and insecurity are increasingly prominent in the international situation, peace and development are still the themes of today's era. Peace, development, cooperation, and win-win are the irreversible trends of the times. Facing common challenges, the only way out for mankind is to work together and live in harmony. On the way forward, promoting the peaceful nature of Chinese civilization and following the trend of the times can inspire resonance among people of all countries, win the hearts of the world, and contribute Chinese wisdom to maintaining world peace and tranquility.
Carry forward the peaceful nature of Chinese civilization while unswervingly pursuing the path of peaceful development
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that Chinese civilization “advocates harmony in transportation and opposes isolation and isolation; advocates symbiosis and progress together and opposes forcing others to follow oneself; advocates maintaining peace and harmony and opposes the law of the jungle.”
Facing the future, we must carry forward the peaceful nature of Chinese civilization while unswervingly pursuing the path of peaceful development, and remain a staunch force for safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.
Promote exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations, and promote mutual understanding and mutual understanding among people. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Civilizations are like water, which moisturizes things silently. We should promote mutual respect and harmonious coexistence among different civilizations, so that exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations can become a bridge that enhances friendship between people of all countries, a driving force for the progress of human society, and a bond for maintaining world peace. "In March 2023, he proposed the Global Civilization Initiative, stating that "we are willing to work with the international community to strive to create a new situation of people-to-people exchanges, cultural integration, and people-to-people connections around the world, so that the garden of world civilization will be colorful and full of vitality."
The relationship between countries lies in the friendship between people. Between different countries, different ethnic groups, and different civilizations, if you understand me and I understand you, the truth will become clearer and clearer, and things will become easier and easier to handle.
Throughout history, diversity and difference have been the basic characteristics of human civilization, which has resulted in exchanges and mutual learning between different civilizations. In this process, different civilizations should insist on proceeding from the realities of their own countries and nations, humbly learn from and actively draw on the strengths and essence of other civilizations, eliminate barriers, prejudices, and hatred, sow the seeds of the concept of peace, and achieve "communication and communication." .
We must adhere to civilized and equal coexistence and respect the path choices of all countries. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Colorful civilizations and diverse development paths are what the world should be like. Human history will not end with one civilization or one system." "Different civilizations coexist with tolerance and exchange and learn from each other. It plays an irreplaceable role in promoting the modernization process of human society and prospering the world's garden of civilizations." "A world of peaceful development should carry different forms of civilization and must be compatible with the diverse paths towards modernization."
"All things grow together without harming each other, and Tao runs parallel without conflict." Human civilization is diverse and equal, and there is no distinction between high and low, superior and inferior. Whether it is the Chinese civilization or other civilizations in the world, they all have their own strengths and weaknesses. They are all unique achievements created by mankind and have their own value and rights to exist. In exchanges, mutual learning, collisions and blends, when faced with civilizations that are different from our own, we should neither belittle ourselves nor forget our ancestors, nor be arrogant or bossy, nor should we do everything possible to transform, assimilate, or even attempt to forcibly replace them with our own civilization. Attempting to use a single civilization and a single development path to shape and unify the world is just an unrealistic fantasy that will only lead to bloody losses in reality.
We must persist in using exchanges of civilizations to transcend estrangement among civilizations, mutual learning among civilizations to transcend clashes of civilizations, and inclusiveness among civilizations to transcend civilizational superiority. We must respect each country’s civilizational traditions, differences in national conditions, and path choices and exploration practices. We must not define our own civilization and development path as the same. , let alone impose it on others.
We advocate harmony and symbiosis among civilizations and practice true multilateralism. “The beauty of harmony lies in the unity of differences.” At present, the world is becoming multi-polar, economic globalization, cultural diversification, and social informatization are developing in depth. However, unilateralism and power politics continue to impact the international order and global governance system, resulting in a clash of civilizations. Wait for fallacies to spread. In the face of difficulties and challenges, all countries should carry forward the spirit of embracing all rivers, advocate peaceful coexistence and harmonious symbiosis of different civilizations, and jointly advocate the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom for all mankind, work together in times of difficulty, adapt to changes in harmony, and practice true multilateralism, constantly improve global governance, find balance points and common denominators among widely varying interest demands, and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind.
It is necessary to practice the global governance concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, uphold the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and lead the reform of the global governance system. We must firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, and promote the development of the international order and system in a more just and reasonable direction. We should persist in seeking common ground while reserving differences, gathering common ground and resolving differences, jointly building a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation, and advocating the use of dialogue, consultation, political negotiation and other peaceful means to build consensus, resolve differences and promote security. Oppose all forms of unilateralism and power politics, and oppose infringement of the legitimate rights and interests of other countries and undermining peace and stability in the name of multilateralism.
We will never give up our legitimate rights and interests and resolutely safeguard the country's core interests. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must adhere to the path of peaceful development, but we must not give up our legitimate rights and interests, and must not sacrifice the country's core interests. No foreign country should expect us to trade our core interests, and do not expect us to swallow them up." It is a bitter fruit that harms our country’s sovereignty, security, and development interests.”
"Knowing peace and making peace without following etiquette is not feasible." The peaceful nature of Chinese civilization does not mean unprincipled agreement or concession in order to be content, but rather on the premise of safeguarding one's legitimate rights and interests and maintaining one's own personality. "Harmony but difference". Since ancient times, China has summed up the following principles: "A gentleman uses war weapons to avoid danger." "Although the world is safe, if you forget to fight, you will be in danger." Views such as "Subjugation" emphasize that in order to achieve and maintain peace, we must not relax and give up the necessary struggle. This means that China takes the path of peaceful development and advocates win-win cooperation with the bottom line of resolutely safeguarding the country's core interests. China will never develop itself at the expense of the interests of other countries, but it will never accept bullying or swallow humiliation by others.
If civilization is harmonious, the world will be safe. We must deeply understand and accurately grasp the major conclusion put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping that "Chinese civilization has outstanding peaceful nature", deeply understand the historical charm and contemporary value of Chinese civilization, and adhere to the path of peaceful development for our modernization and work with all nations of the world. The people work together to seek peace, protect peace, and share peace, providing strong spiritual strength. (Text | Zhao Conghao Author's unit: Party History and Literature Research Institute of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China)