Latest news with #Confucianism
AllAfrica
12 hours ago
- Politics
- AllAfrica
Confucian peace myth: East Asia minus US risks disaster
Skip to content History shows the notion of a 'Confucian peace' in East Asia is a myth. Image: X Screengrab Recently, several arguments have emerged suggesting that Korea, Japan and China could peacefully coexist without the US's presence in Northeast Asia. Columbia University economist Jeffrey Sachs recently argued that China has never invaded Japan in its entire history – aside from two failed attempts – and characterized Japan's incursions into China as anomalies. Citing Harvard sociologist Ezra Vogel, he claimed the two Confucian civilizations enjoyed nearly 2,000 years of relative peace – a striking contrast, he noted, to the near-constant wars between Britain and France. Yonsei University professor Jeffrey Robertson added that, as 'US attention drifts away from East Asia, the unthinkable becomes thinkable' – a region where Europe, Russia, India, and China balance each other imperfectly, but none dominates. Political scientist John Mearsheimer also weighed in: 'If I were the national security adviser to Deng Xiaoping – or Xi Jinping – and they asked me what I thought about the US military presence in East Asia, I'd say, 'I want the Americans out. I don't want them in our backyard.'' This vision of a self-balancing Asia – shared by economists, sociologists, strategists and realists alike – assumes that history, culture and trust can fill the vacuum left by American power. But can it? Sachs's notion of a historical 'Confucian peace' collapses under scrutiny. In his speech, he conveniently omits Korea – arguably the most Confucian state in East Asia – which has frequently been at war with both China and Japan. Consider Goguryeo, one of Korea's ancient kingdoms. Confucianism had already been influential in the region for 400–500 years when Goguryeo emerged. Yet Goguryeo fought multiple wars against various Chinese dynasties: Han, Liaodong, Wei, Lelang, Yan, Sui and Tang. While modern Chinese narratives frame Goguryeo as a tributary, historical records – marked by repeated wars and political stalemates – depict it as a rival power that directly contributed to the collapse of multiple Chinese dynasties. As for Japan, the fact that typhoons thwarted China's attempts to conquer it doesn't mean those efforts lacked seriousness. On the contrary, China was determined. After its initial invasion in 1274 – involving 900 ships and 40,000 troops – ended in failure, it doubled down. In 1281, it returned with 4,400 ships and 140,000 troops – the largest seaborne invasion force in world history before D-Day. To claim that China 'never invaded' simply because these attempts failed is nonsense. These were not theoretical plans – they were full-scale invasions, launched with overwhelming force and clear intent. Typhoons may have stopped them, but they do not erase the historical fact of the invasions themselves. Robertson's claim that the US is 'drifting away' from East Asia is inaccurate. Washington isn't pulling back – it's doubling down. The goal is clear: contain China. This has been official US policy since Hillary Clinton's 2011 article, 'America's Pacific Century,' which outlined a strategic pivot to Asia as the cornerstone of US foreign policy. The US may be distracted by Ukraine and Gaza, but its top strategic priority remains unchanged – and is, in fact, becoming more focused. Washington has bolstered its Indo-Pacific posture through large-scale multinational exercises, such as the 40,000-strong Talisman Sabre in Australia, and expanded military deployments under AUKUS, rotations through Guam and greater access to bases in the Philippines through the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. Mearsheimer says China wants the US out of East Asia. That may seem true on the surface – but the reality is more complicated. After World War II, China initially viewed US security treaties with Japan, Korea and Taiwan as part of a broader strategy to contain its rise. In an October 1971 meeting with US National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai accused Washington of using Taiwan and Korea as 'two wings of outward expansion by Japanese expansionist policies.' Zhou Enlai and Henry Kissinger in Beijing in 1971. Photo: Henry Kissinger Archives / Library of Congress In response, Kissinger offered a candid and far-reaching explanation of why the US maintained its military presence in Japan. 'China,' he said, 'has a universal outlook; Japan's has had a tribal outlook.' More than cultural commentary, this was a strategic warning. He argued that 'the Japanese are capable of sudden and explosive changes. They went from feudalism to emperor worship in two to three years, and from emperor worship to democracy in three months.' Such volatility, in Kissinger's view, made a self-armed Japan a latent threat – not because of intent, but because of potential. 'A Japan that defends itself with its own resources will be an objective danger to the region. The US alliance actually restrains it.' He acknowledged the cynical alternative: 'We could cut Japan loose and let it stand on its own. That would trigger tension with China and let us play the middleman.' But he dismissed that option as dangerously shortsighted: 'Either you or we would end up the victim.' Kissinger warned against romanticizing US withdrawal. 'We didn't fight World War II to stop Japan's domination of Asia only to enable it 25 years later. If Japan truly wants us out, we'll leave – but I don't think you should rejoice when that day happens, because some day you may regret it,' he said. The shift in Chinese thinking was so significant that Zhou began to question whether the US could truly restrain what he called the 'wild horse' of Japan. Chairman Mao even encouraged Kissinger to maintain good relations with Japan. 'When you pass through Japan, you should perhaps talk a bit more with them.' On Kissinger's most recent visit, Mao remarked, 'You only talked with them for one day, and that isn't very good for their face.' The conversation took place in 1971, seven years after China had become a nuclear power and while Japan remained non-nuclear. Yet Beijing was still deeply uneasy about what a remilitarized Japan might do without US oversight. That fear lingers to this day – not just in China, but across all the nations that clashed with Japan in the first half of the 20th century. Historian Kenneth Pyle distills Kissinger's view in contemporary terms: The real issue is trust. 'Part of the answer' regarding the continued US presence in Japan, says Pyle, 'lies in a fundamental, often unspoken question in the minds of US policymakers: Can Japan be trusted to participate responsibly in international security affairs?' He continues, 'This Japanese question is at the core of American thinking about its alliance with Japan and beclouds the issue of how Japan should contribute to the maintenance of the international order. Mindful of Japanese nationalism and militarism, world leaders are intensely ambivalent as to whether Japan should enlarge its security role.' 'Prompted by a fear of revived Japanese nationalism, US leaders are extremely circumspect toward Japan. This feeling recurs throughout Asia, in the Soviet Union, and in Europe – indeed, in Japan itself.' 'This concern must be resolved, for it is fundamental to the continued relationship between the United States and Japan and to the potential role of Japan in the changing pattern of international relations in East Asia.' Perhaps the most surprising endorsement of US presence in East Asia comes from an extremely unlikely source – North Korea's Kim Jong Un. In 2022, Mike Pompeo, who had been US secretary of state during Donald Trump's first presidential term, revealed: 'As we developed our relationship more fully, what became very clear is he [Kim Jong Un] views the United States of America on the Korean Peninsula as a bulwark against his real threat, which came from Xi Jinping.' Kim Jong Un rules over what was once the heartland of Goguryeo – and he knows who the real enemy is. He has reportedly told his aides in the past: 'Japan is the 100-year enemy, but China is the 1,000-year enemy.' The real question isn't whether China becomes a hegemon in Asia. It's what comes next. That's what most commentators overlook – yet it carries the gravest consequences. Once a regional power secures dominance, it no longer has to watch its flank – it becomes 'free to roam.' When China eventually pushes into the Western Hemisphere, it will challenge the Monroe Doctrine – Washington's historical red line – for the first time since the Cuban Missile Crisis. The resulting showdown could rival, or even surpass, that Cold War standoff. In comparison, current and potential proxy wars in Ukraine, the Middle East, Taiwan and Korea would look like child's play. Calls for an 'Asia without America' might sound like peace. But remove the US and the ghosts of history come rushing in – from Goguryeo's defiance to kamikaze invasions, from Japanese militarism to Cold War paranoia. In Northeast Asia, peace without the US isn't just unlikely – it's historically unprecedented, strategically reckless and potentially catastrophic. Hanjin Lew is a political commentator specializing in East Asian affairs.
The Diplomat
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Diplomat
Bureaucratized Confucianism: How Tradition Became a Tool of Control in China
What does it mean when a regime speaks the language of ancient virtue but enforces it through curriculum mandates and ideological scorecards? The opening essay of Simulated Sagehood, a five-part series, traces how Confucianism has been reconstructed, not as a living tradition, but as a calibrated instrument of bureaucratic control. Through textbook reform, propaganda choreography, and institutional incentives, Xi's China fuses ethical language with Leninist mechanics. The result is not revival but simulation: a Confucianism of surfaces, stripped of its moral interior. The return of Confucian language under Chinese leader Xi Jinping isn't a spontaneous cultural revival. It's a carefully orchestrated campaign — engineered from the top of the Chinese party-state — to wrap centralized political control in the language of ancient virtue. What's unfolding is a quiet reversal: values once rooted in moral constraint, like filial piety, virtue, and ethical cultivation, are being refitted to serve a system built on obedience and authority. This isn't Confucianism reborn. It's a state-authored script, stitching together the vocabulary of tradition to legitimize modern power. The turning point came in 2013 with a little-known but foundational document: the Communiqué on the Current State of the Ideological Sphere — more commonly known as Document No. 9. Here, the Chinese Communist Party elevated 'cultural security' to the same strategic level as political or cyber defense, identifying 'Western constitutional democracy,' 'universal values,' and 'historical nihilism' as existential threats. The proposed solution wasn't dialogue or reform, but insulation: Confucian culture would be deployed as a kind of ideological firewall, meant to inoculate China against liberal ideas. This approach was codified in the 2017 Opinions on Implementing the Inheritance and Development Project of Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture — a mouthful of a title, but one with clear intent. It brought Confucian texts under the wing of national security. The classics were no longer seen as sources of independent moral insight, but as symbolic tools linking the Communist Party to an unbroken Han civilizational arc. The machinery driving this transformation spans a vast web of state organs: the propaganda system, the education bureaucracy, and the united front system — a structure designed to manage intellectuals, religious groups, and diaspora networks. Each branch reshapes Confucian motifs to suit its own mission. After the Central Propaganda Department issued its 2015 Action Plan for promoting 'core socialist values,' local governments were told to inject concepts like li (ritual), xiao (filial piety), and zhong (loyalty) into school posters, radio scripts, and CCP publications. But these concepts are no longer invitations to ethical reflection. Xiao is reframed as deference to political authority. Zhong — which once carried the tension between loyalty and principled dissent — is reduced to personal allegiance to Xi as the party's 'core.' These values aren't interpreted; they're rebranded as slogans. The shift is institutionalized most clearly through the Ministry of Education. In 2017, under State Council directive No. 61, the government established the National Textbook Committee, chaired by a vice premier and staffed by Marxist theorists and propaganda cadres. Its job? To vet all school textbooks for ideological conformity. Accuracy — whether philological or philosophical — takes a backseat. By 2019, new standardized textbooks in literature, civics, and history began inserting handpicked excerpts from the Analects, the Classic of Filial Piety, and the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean). These insertions weren't meant to provoke classical interpretation. One widely noted example pairs Mencius' famous line, 'When the ruler is upright, the people will follow,' with a photo of Xi visiting a poor village. The message is clear: Xi doesn't just rule — he continues a civilizational mandate. This symbolic fusion reached a new level in 2021 with the launch of the Three-Subject Unified Textbooks (三科统编教材). For the first time, Xi Jinping Thought became mandatory reading in all public primary and secondary schools — including in ethnic minority regions. Sayings like 'The noble man cultivates himself to govern family and state' (君子修其身以齐家治国) now appear alongside directives to 'love and follow the party's core, General Secretary Xi.' Confucian virtues are no longer positioned as part of an ethical journey. They are cast as historical truths — completed, fulfilled, and embodied in CCP rule. What remains of Confucian discourse is the scaffolding. The meaning has been hollowed and refilled with political certainty. Since 2020, this 'Confucianism with CCP characteristics' has become part of institutional performance. The state now applies ideological-political quality assessments (思想政治素质考核) to teachers, cadres, and schools. The Eight-Ministry Opinion of 2020 explicitly links results from these evaluations to funding decisions, promotions, and curriculum approvals. By 2023, the National Cadre Education and Training Plan designated the study and application of Xi Jinping Thought as the key test for political fitness. Provincial party academies now use numerical dashboards to track how often officials invoke 'excellent traditional culture' in speeches, papers, and events. In this environment, Confucian vocabulary doesn't function as ethical language. It becomes metadata — an ideological KPI, measurable and monetized. The tradition survives not as thought, but as performance.
Borneo Post
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Borneo Post
Confucian wisdom joins AI debate
Tourists visit Nishan Sacredland scenic spot in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, May 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Shuo) JINAN (July 14): In the birthplace of Confucius, who has been revered as a symbol of China's traditional culture, visitors are now greeted not by ancient scrolls or silent statues, but by an AI-powered guide. Under the glow of digital light and amid the echo of classical music, tourists from around the world follow this soft-spoken robot through Luyuan Village in Shandong Province, and set off on a 2,500-year journey into Confucian philosophy. Here, holograms flicker across temple walls, real-life actors blend with virtual scenes, and centuries-old teachings unfold through immersive garden trails. It's a jarring yet mesmerizing collision of past and future, where ritual meets algorithm, and ancient wisdom is reimagined through the lens of artificial intelligence. Just a 10-minute drive away, at another tourist site known as Nishan Sacredland, a different kind of gathering is underway. More than 560 guests from over 70 countries have convened at an ambitious forum on world civilizations, exploring questions from whether Confucius would embrace AI if he lived today, to how humanity can preserve creativity in an era of globalized artificial intelligence. Among those weighing in was Wang Junlin, a professor and director of the Confucius Institute of Culture at Qufu Normal University. 'I believe Confucius would embrace and make use of AI, but only under the guidance of the Dao,' Wang said, referring to the ancient Chinese concept of moral order and cosmic principle. Technology, in his view, should serve humanity, not the other way around. Guests attend the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, July 9, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng) Some at the forum voiced concerns that as AI moves deeper into the fabric of daily life and work, it risks giving rise to a new form of technological hegemony. 'If AI focuses solely on rapid iteration without proper ethical direction, it could easily stray from our original intentions,' said Wen Haiming, a professor of philosophy at Renmin University of China. In search of answers, scholars pointed to Chinese philosophy, and Confucianism in particular, as a possible guide. Kanaev Ilya, a visiting scholar from Russia at the Advanced Institute for Confucius Studies at Shandong University, argued that the Confucian idea of 'harmony without uniformity' provides a crucial framework for the development of AI. He called for the creation of collective synchronization mechanisms that preserve cultural diversity while helping to establish clear ethical guidelines for AI. 'As emerging technologies evolve, establishing prudent assessment systems and robust regulatory frameworks is essential,' said Kanaev Ilya. His views were shared by others at the forum, who urged lawmakers to define clear boundaries for AI use and to draw ethical red lines through thoughtful institutional design. Participants also explored one of the most closely watched questions surrounding AI: whether its rapid rise could ultimately stifle human creativity. Steve Fuller, a professor of sociology at the University of Warwick, offered a more nuanced perspective. 'AI does not rob humanity of its creativity but teaches us the nature of human creativity,' he said. According to Fuller, AI is recombining the products of human intelligence in previously unimagined ways, generating novel forms of expression that surprise people because they tap into creative patterns that humans have yet to fully explore. – Xinhua artificial intelligence China Confucius digital technology
The Sun
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
CGTN: Beauty in diversity: How wisdom at Nishan Forum inspires global modernization
BEIJING, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 10 July 2025 - As the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations takes place in east China's Qufu City, CGTN published an article highlighting the importance of dialogue and mutual learning among civilizations to promote harmonious coexistence, shared prosperity, and the safeguarding of traditional values in the face of modern challenges. 'Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar?' This opening question and well-known saying from the Analects of Confucius has been transformed into a vivid reality as experts and scholars from across the world gathered at the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in east China's Qufu City. The forum is named after Nishan Mountain, formerly known as the Ni Qiu Hill, about 30 kilometers southeast of Qufu – the birthplace of the great Chinese thinker and educator Confucius (551-479 BC). Since its first edition in 2010, the forum has become a platform for understanding China and fostering international cultural and civilizational exchanges. Taking place from Wednesday to Thursday, the 11th Nishan Forum attracted more than 500 global leaders, scholars and cultural figures to explore the role of ancient wisdom in shaping the modern world with the theme of 'Beauty in Diversity: Nurturing Understanding Among Civilizations for Global Modernization.' Understanding among civilizations highlighted Scholars at the forum underscored the essential role that cultural exchange and mutual learning among civilizations play in advancing human progress. Noting armed conflicts have resurfaced in today's turbulent world, Madagascar's Ambassador to China Jean Louis Robinson spoke highly of the forum, saying that its role in promoting harmonious coexistence and shared prosperity among diverse cultures and civilizations has become all the more significant. China-proposed Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) won praise from foreign participants. In March 2023, China introduced the GCI, which calls for respect for global civilizational diversity, the promotion of shared human values, the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, and the strengthening of international cultural exchanges. Hussain Mohamed Latheef, vice president of the Republic of Maldives, described the GCI as a timely reminder of the need to respect and understand diverse cultures worldwide. 'The initiative promotes shared human values, aims to balance tradition with innovation, and supports cultural exchange and development,' Latheef added. Some of the experts spoke highly of the influence of Confucianism, which is known for its five key concepts, namely benevolence, or 'ren' in Chinese, righteousness, or 'yi,' propriety, 'li,' wisdom, 'zhi,' and trustworthiness, 'xin.' Dr Salome Nyambura, director of the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University, told CGTN that close people-to-people exchanges between China and Kenya have made more Kenyans interested in Confucianism. Echoing Nyambura, Riccardo Pozzo, professor of History of Philosophy at Tor Vergata University of Rome, said that Confucianism can provide valuable solutions to bridge traditional and modern issues and solve modern problems, citing the saying from the Analects that 'If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge and continually acquires new knowledge, he may become a teacher to others.' Global modernization deeply rooted in fertile soil of civilizations As well as fueling academic dialogue and people-to-people connections, exchanges among civilizations are also expected to generate valuable insights to tackle global challenges and open up diverse pathways for modernization. China is committed to offering new opportunities to the world through the achievements of its unique path to modernization, and providing new momentum to global partners through its vast domestic market, Sun Chunlan, president of the International Confucian Association, said when addressing the opening of the forum. China's poverty alleviation efforts and global cooperation on poverty reduction have provided relevant examples, demonstrating that the development of civilization should be 'people-oriented' and that the fruits of development can benefit more groups. Wang Xuedian, vice president of the International Confucian Association, said that civilizations must engage in dialogue and mutual learning to explore development paths that align with their own cultural contexts. By drawing on advanced productive forces and promoting traditional values, different civilizations can bridge developmental gaps and realize the common prosperity and harmonious coexistence of multiple civilizations, Wang added. As for Latheef, humanity must work together to safeguard cultural traditions and values while embracing new ideas and changes to adapt to global modernization. Roger T. Ames, professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Hawaii and Humanities Chair Professor at Peking University, said that the urgent task is to transform individualism into a conscious awareness of a united global community, adding that the Confucian values of fairness, inclusiveness and harmony offer valuable guidance for addressing the pressing challenges of the modern world.
Arabian Post
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Arabian Post
CGTN: Beauty in diversity: How wisdom at Nishan Forum inspires global modernization
BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 July 2025 – As the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations takes place in east China's Qufu City, CGTN published an article highlighting the importance of dialogue and mutual learning among civilizations to promote harmonious coexistence, shared prosperity, and the safeguarding of traditional values in the face of modern challenges. 'Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar?' This opening question and well-known saying from the Analects of Confucius has been transformed into a vivid reality as experts and scholars from across the world gathered at the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in east China's Qufu City. The forum is named after Nishan Mountain, formerly known as the Ni Qiu Hill, about 30 kilometers southeast of Qufu – the birthplace of the great Chinese thinker and educator Confucius (551-479 BC). Since its first edition in 2010, the forum has become a platform for understanding China and fostering international cultural and civilizational exchanges. ADVERTISEMENT Taking place from Wednesday to Thursday, the 11th Nishan Forum attracted more than 500 global leaders, scholars and cultural figures to explore the role of ancient wisdom in shaping the modern world with the theme of 'Beauty in Diversity: Nurturing Understanding Among Civilizations for Global Modernization.' Understanding among civilizations highlighted Scholars at the forum underscored the essential role that cultural exchange and mutual learning among civilizations play in advancing human progress. Noting armed conflicts have resurfaced in today's turbulent world, Madagascar's Ambassador to China Jean Louis Robinson spoke highly of the forum, saying that its role in promoting harmonious coexistence and shared prosperity among diverse cultures and civilizations has become all the more significant. China-proposed Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) won praise from foreign participants. In March 2023, China introduced the GCI, which calls for respect for global civilizational diversity, the promotion of shared human values, the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, and the strengthening of international cultural exchanges. ADVERTISEMENT Hussain Mohamed Latheef, vice president of the Republic of Maldives, described the GCI as a timely reminder of the need to respect and understand diverse cultures worldwide. 'The initiative promotes shared human values, aims to balance tradition with innovation, and supports cultural exchange and development,' Latheef added. Some of the experts spoke highly of the influence of Confucianism, which is known for its five key concepts, namely benevolence, or 'ren' in Chinese, righteousness, or 'yi,' propriety, 'li,' wisdom, 'zhi,' and trustworthiness, 'xin.' Dr Salome Nyambura, director of the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University, told CGTN that close people-to-people exchanges between China and Kenya have made more Kenyans interested in Confucianism. Echoing Nyambura, Riccardo Pozzo, professor of History of Philosophy at Tor Vergata University of Rome, said that Confucianism can provide valuable solutions to bridge traditional and modern issues and solve modern problems, citing the saying from the Analects that 'If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge and continually acquires new knowledge, he may become a teacher to others.' Global modernization deeply rooted in fertile soil of civilizations As well as fueling academic dialogue and people-to-people connections, exchanges among civilizations are also expected to generate valuable insights to tackle global challenges and open up diverse pathways for modernization. China is committed to offering new opportunities to the world through the achievements of its unique path to modernization, and providing new momentum to global partners through its vast domestic market, Sun Chunlan, president of the International Confucian Association, said when addressing the opening of the forum. China's poverty alleviation efforts and global cooperation on poverty reduction have provided relevant examples, demonstrating that the development of civilization should be 'people-oriented' and that the fruits of development can benefit more groups. Wang Xuedian, vice president of the International Confucian Association, said that civilizations must engage in dialogue and mutual learning to explore development paths that align with their own cultural contexts. By drawing on advanced productive forces and promoting traditional values, different civilizations can bridge developmental gaps and realize the common prosperity and harmonious coexistence of multiple civilizations, Wang added. As for Latheef, humanity must work together to safeguard cultural traditions and values while embracing new ideas and changes to adapt to global modernization. Roger T. Ames, professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Hawaii and Humanities Chair Professor at Peking University, said that the urgent task is to transform individualism into a conscious awareness of a united global community, adding that the Confucian values of fairness, inclusiveness and harmony offer valuable guidance for addressing the pressing challenges of the modern world. Hashtag: #CGTN The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
