Confucianism that values the importance of people, trust, and cooperation makes a difference to China's governance philosophy and development, according to a sinologist speaking ahead of the 10th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in east China's Shandong Province.
Ragnar Baldursson, who was also Iceland's minister counselor to China, talked about the philosophy of Confucianism and its impact on China's politics and social governance.
"As long as China is governed in the way it is governed today, it's not going to war, because people die, because it does not serve the interest of the people to die. You have to try to provide for them, you had to solve problems peacefully. Trust is one central element. People are one central element. And the third one is inclusive harmoniousness. It's like we can work together. We don't have to agree," he said.
The former diplomat said that the concept comes from China's background as a rice growing society where people need to work together to grow rice.
"So in China it's 'he' and actually the character itself is a rice and a mouth. And how many mouths can you feed with the rice, so you have to work together," he said.
The 10th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations kicked off Wednesday in Qufu City, the hometown of Chinese philosopher and educator Confucius, under the theme of "Traditional Culture and Modern Civilization."
The two-day event gathered leading cultural experts and scholars from around the world to improve understanding between cultures and features several activities, including high-level interviews, parallel forums and keynote speeches.
The forum is named after Nishan Mountain, which is revered as the birthplace of Confucius and has immense historical and cultural significance. The most prominent landmark there is a 72-meter-high statue of Confucius.
Confucianism makes difference to China's governance philosophy: sinologist
The commencement ceremony of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project was held in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan on Friday, and Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the commencement ceremony of the cross-border railway project.
In his letter, Xi emphasized that the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is a strategic decision made by the governments of the three countries to enhance regional connectivity, prosperity, and stability.
He noted that the project represents a significant step forward in promoting cooperation and development across the region.
At the ceremony, representatives from the three countries unveiled the project's cornerstone.
President Xi's special envoy and director of the National Development and Reform Commission, Zheng Shanjie, attended the launch ceremony.
Zheng read out President Xi's congratulatory letter and delivered a speech at the event, emphasizing the project's significance as a milestone in trilateral cooperation.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov attended the event, stating that the railway will serve as an important strategic bridge connecting the countries of the East and the West.
Officials from the railway companies of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have also welcomed the project for its potential to enhance regional connectivity and foster development.
"Overall, the project will establish direct rail links to China for both Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, significantly boosting the development of the Central Asia region. Furthermore, Kyrgyzstan is set to become a transportation hub, integrating into the global railway network, which will substantially accelerate its own development. In addition [to the railway infrastructure], the project will involve the construction of warehouses, logistics centers, and other facilities, fostering the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises," said Azamat Sakiev, director of Kyrgyz Railways (or Kyrgyz Temir Zholu state enterprise).
"Today (Dec. 27) marks a historic day for our three countries. Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have been waiting for this day for 20 years. We have all been anticipating the launch of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. This railway not only links China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, but also connects the entire Asian continent, including South Korea and Japan," said Hikmatulla Rakhmetov, the first deputy head of Uzbekistan Railways.
The railway, personally championed by the heads of state of China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. is a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It serves as a strategic connectivity project linking China with Central Asia.
Originating in Kashgar, located in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, it will cross the Torugart Pass into Kyrgyzstan, proceed westward through the Kyrgyz border city of Jalalabad, and terminate in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan.
Based on the current progress, the project is set to officially begin construction in July 2025 and is projected to take six years to complete.
Launch ceremony for China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway held in Kyrgyzstan
