Chinese President Calls for Building Harmonious World

I found this fascinating in this little noticed speech. The Chinese president repeatedly used the words harmonious, common, mutual. Everything was about one integrated world operating together. We all know the problem with Chinese repression of the Tibetan people, and of their own best writers and journalists. The flip side of an emphasis on the positive idea of harmony is the negative reality of tyranny. The flip side of freedom is chaos and anarchy. Nevertheless, I think it is interesting that there is a kind of outgoing new emphasis in the rhetoric, a conscious decision to at least rhetorically move beyond the Wall of China. This is good, and it provides an opening to discuss the ethics of harmony and mutuality, especially in Confucian terms, which always requires MUTUAL respect between governors and the governed. I hope there is more open debate as time goes on with Chinese leaders in order to set the stage for a more ethical authentically Confucian approach to Chinese rule over 1 billion people.

Chinese president calls for building harmonious world

chinese president

Chinese President Hu Jintao put forward a four-point proposal on building a harmonious world on Wednesday, calling on the international community to work together for world peace and development.

During his speech at the general debate of the 64th session of the UN General Assembly, Hu said the trend towards peace, development and cooperation has grown stronger than ever in the world.

Meanwhile, he noted that the instability and uncertainties in the international landscape pose “severe challenges” to world peace and development.

In the face of unprecedented opportunities and challenges, members of the international community should continue the joint endeavor “to build a harmonious world of enduring peace and common prosperity and contribute to the noble cause of peace and development of mankind,” he said.

Read the rest of the article from China View here.

© Marc Gopin

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