PresidentXiJinpinghassaidthatChinamustseek"harmonyfortheentireworld".WithhisGlobalCivilizationInitiativeonWednesday,XiemphasizedthatChinesemodernizationisalsoapaththecountryshouldtaketo"seekprogressforhumanityandharmonyfortheentireworld".TheaimisnotonlytodeliverbenefitstotheChinesepeoplebutalsotoboostthecommondevelopmentoftheentireworld.

XimadetheproposalwhiledeliveringakeynotespeechviavideolinkattheopeningceremonyoftheCommunistPartyofChinainDialoguewithWorldPartiesHigh-LevelMeetingthatbroughttogethermorethan500politicalpartiesandorganizationsfromover150countries.

Whatpreciselydoes"harmony"meanininternationalrelations?TheChinesecharacterhe(和)—commonlytranslatedas"harmony"—isakeyconceptinConfucianethics.Itwashighlightedattheopeningceremonyofthe2008SummerOlympicGamesinBeijingasrepresentingthecoreofChineseculture.IrememberwatchingtheceremonyonAmericantelevisionwithanannouncermarvelingatthedisciplineandorderdisplayedbythe"harmonious"soldiersattheceremony,whoallseemedtoactincompleteunison.

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However,Irealizedthat"harmony"givesthewrongimpressioninEnglish,becauseitsoundslikeuniformityandconformity—aharmonioussocietyisonewhereeverybodythinksandactsalike.Butthat"salmosttheoppositeofwhatismeantbyhe.EveryChineseintellectualknowsthesayingintheAnalectsofConfuciusthatexemplarypersonsvalueharmony(he)butnotsameness/uniformity/conformity(junziheerbutong).

Inotherwords,theideaofhevalues,ifnotcelebrates,diversityandpluralism.Respectfordiversityshouldtakeplaceinapeacefulpoliticalorder,withthedifferentpartsinteractingandenrichingeachotherthroughmutuallearning.Soabettertranslationofhewouldbe"diversityinharmony."

Ininternationalrelations,valuing"diversityinharmony"wouldmeantryingtosecurepeacefulandmutuallybeneficialoutcomesinadiverseandpluralworld.Stateactorswouldinteractwitheachotherbymeansofrespectfulandrestraineddialogue,ratherthanlecturingothercountriesthatprioritizedifferentvalues.Countries,regardlessoftheirsizeandinfluence,wouldbetreatedasequalsinthisdialogueprocess.

Butequalityindialoguedoesnotmeanlargeandpowerfulcountriescanneglectextraresponsibilities.ChinaandtheUnitedStates,forexample,havethepowerto"shaketheworld"andneedtoconsidertheglobalimpactofpoliciesinawaythat,say,Canada(whereI"mfrom)neednot.Andonissuessuchasclimatechange,Chinacanandshouldtakethelead.

Largeandinfluentialcountriescanalsoplaytheroleofpeacemakersbecausetheyhavemorepowerandinfluencetobringwarringsidestothetable.China"sroleinbringingaboutarapprochementbetweenIranandSaudiArabiaandpersuadingthemtoresumediplomatictiesisaninspiringexample.

ForChina,theroleitplayedintheSaudiArabia-IrandétenteispartofitsGlobalSecurityInitiativeeffortstomaintainglobalpeaceandstability.IftheRiyadh-TeherandealholdsandhelpstoendthebrutalcivilwarinYemen,thekeymediatorsandparticipantsfullydeserveaNobelPeacePrize—moresothanformerUSpresidentBarackObama"sNobelPeacePrizewhichwasgivenshortlyafterhetookofficeonthebasisofpotentialratherthanactualachievements.

Xi,duringhisvisittoRussiafromMondaytoWednesday,maytrytopersuadeMoscowtoseekapeacefulresolutiontotheRussia-UkraineconflictaspartofhisGlobalSecurityInitiative.AndifChinacanpromotepeacetalksbetweenRussiaandUkraine,wewillbeyetonestepclosertorealizingthevalueof"diversityinharmony"intheentireworld.

TheauthorischairprofessorofpoliticaltheoryintheFacultyofLawattheUniversityofHongKong.Theviewsdon"tnecessarilyreflectthoseofChinaDaily.

TheopinionsexpressedherearethoseofthewriteranddonotnecessarilyrepresenttheviewsofChinaDailyandChinaDailywebsite.

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