Peng Luqian
As the core and essence of Chinese culture, the concept of He （Chinese：和， pinyin：hé）goes back to a distant origin and has a long history. Though it’s generally understood as peace or harmony, it’s hard to define He (和) exactly in one or two words in English, for its broad connotation has gone far beyond that.
Considering its multiple meaning, we’d better introduce several guidelines for convenience: “unity of Heaven and man” (天人合一, tiān rén hé yī) in the outlook of the universe, “harmony with all nations” (协和万邦, xíé hé wàn bāng) in international relations, “harmony without uniformity” (和而不同, hé ér bù tong) in view of society, and “being amiable to people”(人心和善, rén xīn hé shàn) in morality. For over 5,000 years of development, the Chinese nation has firmly pursued the belief of He (和).
The thoughts of “regarding harmony as of supreme importance” (以和为贵, yǐ hé wéi gùi), “having good intention toward others” (与人为善, yŭ rén wéi shàn), “treating others the way you would like to be treated” (己所不欲，勿施于人, jǐ suǒ bú yù, wù shī yú rén) have been passed down generation after generation as cultural heritage, so that they are deeply rooted in the spirit of the Chinese nation and heavily shape people’s daily behavior.
The concept of “unity of Heaven and man” (天人合一, 天), a concept that has no appropriate counterpart in the English language, yet the literal meaning is rather close to sky or heaven) is built upon the recognition that humans and all beings in Nature are an integral whole.
This implies the consciousness of a living community of coexistence between Man and Nature, a sharp contrast to the anthropocentrism of the West in modern times, which regards man as the subject and life and nature outside of man objects to be understood, utilized, and transformed by human beings.
Since the world of man and the world of nature share a spiritual correspondence with each other, people should be benevolent towards all the things in nature, viewing them as beings closely connected to themselves.
Thus, Heaven, Earth, and Man are integral, and only when a man holds a reverence for nature, acts in accordance with natural laws, and uses natural resources in an appropriate manner to maintain a balance between humans and nature can man achieve harmonious coexistence with nature.
Any violation of Tian Dao (天道, a synonymous expression of natural law in English) should be condemned and prohibited. That constitutes the basis of characteristic Chinese eco-philosophy. Meanwhile, it provides important insights for humans to seek a path of sustainable development.
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The Chinese civilization is an open system that enriches itself through continuous communication with and absorption from other civilizations.
The Chinese nation has been consistent in being amiable with its neighbors and harmonious with all nations worldwide, with the concepts of a “world for all” (tian xia wei gong, 天下为公) and “a world of universal harmony” (shi jie da tong, 世界大同) as its fundamental ideal.
In the contemporary world, “harmony with all nations” can be interpreted as coordinating the relations between different countries and promoting mutual respect, cooperation, and common development among them. The core value of He (和) is mutual recognition, respect, and harmonious relations.
The foundation of He (和) lies in harmony with diversity (和而不同), mutual tolerance, and recognition of common ground with differences reserved (求同存异searching for something in common and putting stress on the common points rather than the disputes). To achieve He (和) is to seek understanding through dialogue, unity through consensus, and harmony through inclusiveness.
The concept of He（和）does not mean a complete concession without one’s own principle; instead, what the concept requires is courage, tolerance, and wisdom with great foresight for searching for something in common among different parties and further pursuing a peaceful solution to avoid any potential clash do demand a dialectical way of thinking.
In an era of radical changes and intense conflicts, it’s time to rethink the Chinese wisdom of He （和）, which encourages mutual trust and assistance between people or countries. With ever-increasing globalization, countries are made an interdependent and integrated community of interests, where no one can pursue his own interests at the sacrifice of others.
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Human civilizations are like a garden of varied flowers with distinct blooms, colors, and flowering seasons, each enjoying the same right to growth, though different. We should adhere to equality, respect, and inclusiveness to transcend cultural barriers, conflicts, and superiority through cultural exchanges and mutual learning.
In the movable type printing performance at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics appeared three Chinese characters of He (和), each with a unique and fabulous charm. The magnificent words convey to everyone the Chinese traditional humanistic concept that “harmony is of supreme importance.”
The snowflakes flying at both the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics imply the same message: even though there are no two identical snowflakes in the world, they form a beautiful winter scene by dancing together in the sky.
So are the countries. Although they may have different languages, cultures, or religious beliefs, they can still coexist harmoniously.
Chinese He (和) culture finds itself in every aspect of current China, from people’s daily life to working place, from ecology to traditional medicine, from economy to politics, from interpersonal relations to diplomatic policies.
China’s peaceful development policy based on He (和) culture differs from the zero-sum game of the United States and other Western countries. We seek common prosperity and a win-win situation rather than the absolute exclusion of anyone with a different system.
Human society’s main problem in the 21st century is “peace and development,” which requires coordinating the relations between countries, nations, and regions with different cultural traditions. “Harmony with diversity” is fundamental to solving the problem of peace and development for all. The world needs cultural diversity and the conviction that mankind is a community of a shared future.
The “BRI” advocated by China is a practical application of the Chinese He (和) value. Therefore, it is not a solo but a “symphony” which invites active participation from all countries.
It aims to promote regional economic growth and achieve a community of interests featuring political mutual trust, economic integration, and cultural inclusion. CPEC is the flagship project of BRI and has played a significant role in promoting the regional economy.
Pakistan is China’s iron buddy (Chinese: 铁哥们, pinyin: tiě gē mén) and an all-weather strategic partner.
We have witnessed the signing of more than 50 bilateral cooperation documents covering transport infrastructure, energy, agriculture, trade, finance, health, media, marine science, education, and other fields.
As the saying goes, the friendship between the two countries is higher than the Himalayas, deeper than the Arabian Sea, sweeter than honey, and harder than iron.
Traditional Chinese values directly influence China’s foreign policy and create a novel approach to resolving conflicts and conducting international affairs.
China-Pakistan friendship is a model of China’s ideology of He (和) applying to contemporary international relations and also strong evidence of promoting regional peace and economic development through “harmony with diversity.”
*The writer is a student at Hebei Normal University
*Views expressed in this article are author’s own and does not necessarily reflect the position of the publication and the staff.
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