“Harmonious World” and China’s Road of Peaceful Development

Chinese policy, foreign policy always been very consistent.

It was not about China getting bigger, not about China trying to bully other countries,It's been peaceful, peaceful relations with their neighbors and to keep a non-aggressive stand.

 Xi Jinping: The Governance of China 

Chinese philosophers and political sages or the political philosophers of the past such as Confucius, Lao zi, Mo zi and other philosophers came to the conclusion already two thousand and five hundred years ago.In order to secure peace and harmony relationship with what we now call China, you need to ensure good relationship with neighbors.

So ensuring relationship with your neighbors means that your own development, your own fortunes have to be shared with your neighbors. So in a globalized world, everything happened is affecting everyone else. And the general idea is that in nowadays world nobody is an island.A globalized world means that you have to do it worldwide, that you should share your prosperity with countries in very different locations in the world.

It's like the aim of Chinese development aid to Africa has always been to help African countries to increase their own prosperity, to help them build infrastructure so they can use their own resources. Things are same with its relations with the Philippines, Vietnam, Japanese, and everybody who's around it, including the America. So the Chinese answer to the conflict with the western world is to ensure that the western world can also profit from china's rise or china's strengthen as industrial power. My favorite idea from the ancient Chinese classics or ancient Chinese philosophers, is one actually focused on the people.Because the state cannot exist without the support or the trust of people.

So it's “Min wei gui” .Later, the modern Chinese politicians, including Sun Yat-sen, the father of China, he said “Tian xia wei gong” which means the state has to serve the public.

And then later Mao Zedong rephrased it. He said “Wei ren min fu wu” And this is written outside of the Communist offices all over China, all the headquarters of the Communist party, to remind the Chinese Communist party that they should not serve themselves nor the family members but the people and general public.

Another idea that I think is very important especially for foreign policy, is the importance of harmonious unity or the harmonious inclusiveness.In Chinese it is “he” is the most important. “He wei gui”. I know “he” means that you have to work together. It's basically cooperation, always focus on cooperation. Even though we are different. Even though we have different cultures. And we do not need people to throw away their cultures or religions to work together.

It's all side prosper. The Belt and Road Initiative can profit both China and the countries China is working with.Because it makes the resources of the country accessible and also increases the market and raise the living standard. It benefits the whole world.

My country Iceland has had a very good relationship with China since we opened our embassy here in the 90s Fifteen years ago, we started a cooperation of geothermal development. and it's a very good proof of how important cooperation within countries can be in developing renewable energy and sustainable development because China has a lot of geothermal resources.

And our cooperation has been very fruitful and very, very successful just because of this principle of harmonious relationship and inclusiveness, “He wei gui” . Our cooperation can serve as an example of how other countries and companies can work together.

Author: Ragnar Baldursson