Dialogue on Views on Civilization | Han Xiandong

          Enhancing overseas understanding of "harmony" and "propriety" culture, constructing a favorable international public opinion environment 

Over the past two decades, my mission at work has been to reflect the most authentic situation of the surrounding areas to the country and decision-makers. Through research and overseas exchanges, I have found that the international public opinion environment China faces is continuously deteriorating. According to some public opinion surveys conducted by institutions like the Pew Research Center in the United States, the proportion of negative views towards China among the populations of countries such as the United States, South Korea, Japan and Australia is increasing.

These developed countries have a significant influence on global public opinion. Although the reasons for negative views towards our country vary among different nations, there are also commonalities. For example, they harbor so-called "security" concerns arising from the strengthening of China's comprehensive strength.

How should we view these opinion polls?

The situation reflected in these opinion polls is very complex, with both objective and subjective factors at play. Some issues are indeed our own problems, while others are the result of malicious manipulation by certain forces in relevant countries. Nevertheless, we need to give it sufficient attention because these opinion polls are part of public opinion and can influence people's perception and political behavior, including voting. The following are several specific reasons for the aforementioned poll results. Firstly, there is the influence of the China-US competition. Western countries, led by the United States, have framed the China-US competition as a supposed contest and confrontation between "democratic countries" and "authoritarian countries". They deliberately emphasize the differences in systems, ideologies and values, which have a significant impact on public opinion and people's perception.

Secondly, certain forces have planned and organized efforts to promote specific agendas. For example, some seemingly impartial academic institutions, with strong political inclinations behind them, conduct related opinion polls with a motive to "steer" the results in a certain direction.

Thirdly, there are still misunderstandings in the international community's perception of China. On the one hand, this is influenced by the Western academic hegemony, and on the other hand, our own efforts have been somewhat lacking. Western countries, especially the United States, still dominate the social sciences field, including international politics and international relations, and hold the power of discourse with strong capabilities to shape public opinion. Currently, the interpretation of China's development and rise in the international arena is largely based on American theories and logic. At the same time, a "Chinese school" of international relations has yet to fully form, and the Chinese academic community often struggles to present our own framework when explaining international issues.

Since the 1990s, when we introduced Western academic ideas, a situation has emerged where Chinese scholars, when contemplating international issues, subconsciously align their thinking with Western academic paradigms. The exploration of theories such as "moral realism" and "relational theory" by Chinese scholars is mostly done within the framework of Western logic, often in a patchwork or deficiency-filling manner, without fully tapping into our own unique intellectual and cultural resources. Furthermore, there is still room for improvement in promoting and explaining China's development and rise internationally.

In general, the existing exploration in the field of international relations is still predominantly based on Western frameworks. The international relations academic community should intersect with the realms of philosophy and history to propose a set of ideas based on the past and combined with the present international system. This would form a universally accepted discourse system, which is a crucial aspect of our theoretical exploration.

Dig into the ideological connotations of “harmony” and “propriety” culture, and elevate them through theoretical advancement

On May 27, 2022，General Secretary Xi Jinping noted at the 39th group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to further a national research project on tracing the origins of Chinese civilization that “...study and interpret the virtues of benevolence, the people-centered approach, honesty, justice, harmony, and unity embodied in Chinese civilization as well as their patterns of development; and expound on the profound cultural heritage of the Chinese path. It is important we clearly explain what civilization and what country China is and how Chinese people view the universe, the world, society, and morality. We should show the world the long history and rich human heritage of Chinese civilization, so that people around the world can truly understand China, the Chinese people, the Communist Party of China, and the Chinese nation.”

1. The core of the Chinese civilization perspective

Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trust are, in fact, a belief and pursuit of the ideal relationship between individuals. Essentially, the object of focus in Chinese civilization is the relationship between people that goes beyond national boundaries. It represents ultimate care, reflecting the humanistic sentiment and concern of Chinese culture.

2. The essence of the Chinese civilization perspective

The essence of the Chinese civilization perspective is the establishment of a human order based on "harmony" and "propriety". The cosmology, worldview and social outlook are, in fact, views and concepts regarding the relationship between humans and nature, as well as between individuals. "Harmony" and "propriety" represent the Chinese people's pursuit and longing for ideal relationships between humans and nature, as well as between individuals.

3. The concept of a community with a shared future for mankind

The concept of a community with a shared future for mankind and its embodiment actually represents the contemporary inheritance and manifestation of China's traditional culture's concern for human order. However, internationally, it is often perceived as propaganda from the Chinese Communist Party and government. When conducting international promotion, we should emphasize the dissemination of works that represent the highest academic achievements in China, rather than just engaging in propaganda.

4. China's international relations theory based on the fundamental concepts of “harmony” and “propriety”

Our publicity work must be built upon a logical academic foundation. If we can produce a series of achievements recognized by the international academic community, there is no need to deliberately engage in promotion as others will naturally help spread and disseminate them. We should fully explore the academic significance and practical value of the “harmony” and “propriety” culture, promote theoretical advancement, and strive to produce internationally influential theoretical results. This is beneficial not only for fostering a correct, objective and rational understanding of China in the international community but also for improving our international public opinion environment. It is crucial for constructing an international public opinion and security environment that is favorable to our country.