Recently, the 2022 China International Confucius Cultural Festival and then 8th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations were held in Confucius’s hometown in Qufu City, China’s Shandong Province. Nearly 200 scholars and numerous visitors from all around the world came to commemorate Confucius’s 2573rd birthday.
Traditional Chinese culture is the “root” and “soul” of China, representing the strongest cultural soft power and holding copious wisdom for national governance. The 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization has nourished the Chinese characteristics. This is crucial to the success of the socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Traditional Chinese ideals have been part of China’s governance: “When the way of virtue and justice prevailed, the whole world was one community,” “rule by virtue, not punishment,” “the law does not discriminate in favour of the rich and powerful,” “the moral injunctions of fidelity to one’s parents and brothers and to the monarch and friends, and the sense of propriety, justice, integrity and honour,” “appoint the virtuous and the capable, ” etc.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said that to govern a big country with so many people and so complex national conditions, the leaders of China must be aware of China’s reality and aspirations of its people, treating their responsibilities with utmost care as if they are walking on thin ice or standing on the edge of an abyss, and understand that “governing a big country is like cooking a small fish.”
The Chinese nation, throughout its rich history, has sought to eradicate poverty and have people’s basic needs met. After the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the central government said that poverty is not socialism, and follows the principle of “leaving no single poor area or single poor person behind” under the targeted poverty alleviation strategy. The number of people lifted out of poverty each year has averaged at over 10 million, almost equal to the population of a medium-sized country. In 2021, President Xi declared an achievement of the goal to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and to exterminate extreme poverty in the country.
China espouses harmony in diversity. Its socialist system, theory, institutions and culture have opened up a new path to modernization for developing countries, offering a new option for countries and nations who wish to both accelerate development and to maintain independence.
