Confucius and the Idea of the Community with Shared Future
The need to reform the global governance has been acquiring an even greater significance because of the changing nature of the international relations. One of the key players in this debate is China. Its executives developed the idea of a community sharing a future to man. It is a vision that is conceptualized in the tradition of Confucianism philosophical tradition and, therefore, aims to resolve such issues as climate change, inequality, and political instability in the world. The idea does not just show the reality that China is gradually growing stronger in the world, but it has a philosophical significance, as far as harmony, mutual respect, and common good. This policy brief will discuss how China has proposed to change the way the world operates, how Confucianism fits in this and how this will influence future internationations between countries.
The Chinese conception of reforming the world order underlines the need to have a community with a shared future of humanity (Xi, 2017). The structure suggests a more open, fair and balanced way of running the world, which is different as compared to the existing mode of running the world that is mainly by the West, which is the UN, World Bank and International Monetary fund. The vision states the value of cooperation and not competition, which implies the multipolar world order, which does not encroach on the sovereignty and developmental modes of individual nations. The China strategy in the case means the rejection of hegemonies models and the shift to the model of shared responsibility and common good. This highly depends on the Confucian ideas of group harmony and good.
Confucianism is an outstanding philosophical movement in China that provides some valuable information about the principles of the way how the country approaches to global governance. Confucianism also has ren (good will), li (ritual decorum) and xiao (filial piety). All of them are focusing on moral leadership, social peace, and respect. These values imply that the world governance should not rely on the power relations and selfishness, but rather on the mutual interest towards the well-being of each one. Confucianism states that a harmonious society is characterized by people, groups, and states to respect each other, act in a moral way, and act in the common good of their counterparts (Chan, 2017). The picture of the shared future that China offers is also aligned with the ideas of the Confucianism that proclaims that humans should peacefully exist and collaborate to govern the world.
A major factor that has transformed the world regime is the Chinese consideration of protection of national sovereignty and nonintervention in the affairs of other nations. This is the opposite of the western liberal type that is rather interventionist under the banner of democracy, or even humanitarianism. There is Confucian touch in the idea of junzi which translated into the morally superior person who sets an example and appreciates the freedom of other people. China has a system where states develop without any outside interference in the global system of governance and this is a sign of respect of political and cultural independence of states. The Confucian ideas of the importance of respecting each other and refusing to use force are the basis of this mode of thinking.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a massive project in terms of infrastructure and development that is projected to connect countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe. It is one of the most prominent of the Chinese vision to remodel international governance. The BRI is based on the Confucian concepts of mutual prosperity and harmony, and encourages economic cooperation, cultural exchange, and win-win. BRI is committed to the win-win cooperation that is among the most significant aspects of the Chinese diplomatic policy. It is also intended to address the development gap between states through economic development through a joint investment. Critics on their part claim that the BRI can create debt traps or Chinese overpowering. Unilateral partnerships founded on mutual trust and respect that have existed with time between china and other nations on the other hand fit in the larger plan of creating a peaceful, global village.
China has monumental plans on how it would handle the world but global leadership style is not without flaws. The first one is that the Western countries doubt the growing power of China. The history of the US and its allies has been the longest of being the most powerful forces in the evolution of international institutions in the West. This has caused tensions because most of the individuals in the west believe that this will pose a threat to the current state of affairs in the international system by exerting the demand by reform (or, more specifically, the necessity to have more equal distribution of power). Also the questions of Chinese track record with respect to human rights are an issue of concern especially on matters such as freedom of speech and how it treats ethnic minorities. This would make it not so persuasive as a proponent of a just and fair international system of leadership.
There are certain implications of a new international order based on the Confucianism and the vision of China reforming the world governance on the future peacebuilding and international cooperation. As long as it is successful it would help create a more cooperative international system, one in which peace, stability, and long-term growth are the main objective. China would prefer that the people do not think in terms of zero-sum but start thinking in terms of win by focusing on mutual respect, non-interference and the common good. This can strengthen multilateralism, i.e. when countries work together in solving problems like global warming, epidemics and terrorism. However, in order to bring this dream, China will need to cooperate with other major actors in the world with specific reference to creating a meeting point between the Eastern and the Western political and philosophical cultures.
The vision of how the world should be is the alternative to the existing circumstances in the world, and it is one that has been proposed by China, thanks to the concept of a community of common future of mankind. This vision is based on Confucian concepts of common good, respect and harmoniousness. It requires a more transparent and equal manner of relations among countries. The Chinese vision might change the manner in which the world is ruled but there are concerns of still to ensure that people embrace and use it especially with the geopolitical tensions and personality differences. As more complex and global issues emerge, such an approach taken by China based on mutual respect and cooperation could be the answer to the creation of a more fair and peaceful planet.
