The West Has No Idea What China Is About

…or perhaps it does, and feels threatened by it. It should. But not for the reasons to which the West most commonly gives voice.

China, the world’s greatest democracy (I defy anyone to challenge that statement – but please don’t as I cannot spare the time to educate you, although I might suggest some reading material) and most rapidly rising economic power, cooperative friend and partner to any nation willing to reach out the hand of friendship for mutually beneficial partnership in return (as many nations already do), a legitimately proud nation over what it has already achieved in a short time from a fairly low base, began its celebration of the new year in style with a solemn ceremony of the raising of its national flag today, January 1, 2022 in Tian’anmen Square, Beijing.

Here’s the story in pictures:

‘National flag-raising ceremony held at Tian’anmen Square in Beijing’ – XinhuaNet

To accompany that story, may I suggest this fine piece, an address today by President of China, Xi Jinping, a standout national leader by any rational standards. Again I suggest that it will be difficult to search out such an address, also on this day, which reaches anywhere near the sublimity and essense of the values which President Xi’s words convey.

I am repeating a large block of the Xinhua report of the address below for your convenience, but you can find the original in full here:

‘Chinese Wisdom in Xi’s Words: “The world is for everyone”‘ – XinhuaNet

BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) — “When the Great Way prevails, the world is for everyone.” This sentence has appeared in a number of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s speeches over the years.

It originates from the Confucian classic “The Book of Rites,” dating back some 2,000 years ago.

In the original context, it was followed by the description of Confucius’ ideal society, known as the “Universal Harmony,” in which the virtuous and able are chosen for public office, and fidelity and friendliness are valued by all. The elderly live their twilight years in happiness; able-bodied adults are employed; children have proper education; the vulnerable groups such as widows and orphans are well looked after.

Natural resources are fully used for the benefit of all, and not appropriated for selfish ends. People want to contribute their strength and ability to society for the public good but not for private gain.

Xi often used the notion to explain China’s foreign policy and the vision for a better world. The “Great Way” is referred to as the shared values of humanity such as fairness and justice, and the “Universal Harmony” is mirrored in the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

‘Chinese Wisdom in Xi’s Words: “The world is for everyone”‘ – XinhuaNet

I would simply add my own comment to that… Yes, the world truly is for everyone, not just for a privileged and obscenely rich few who have no altruistic motivation for selflessly sharing that which they have selfishly, and without merit, accumulated.

Is it not time for the world to come together to operate under new (to most) shared principles? China, by its success, is showing the way.

Note:

Any comments around subjects such as Tian’anmen Square riots, Xinjiang province, Uyghur or HK independence issues, and all politically motivated or similar concerns, will be deleted immediately as inappropriate and blatant propaganda based on lies. This blog is not an open forum for such things – whether there is any truth to them (which is unlikely), or not.