China, together with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, staged a joint anti-terrorism exercise in mid-August this year, the fifth drill launched within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) since it was founded in June 2001.
The drill, dubbed "Peace Mission 2007", was a practice run of anti-terrorism procedures, but its underlying aim was to strengthen military cooperation between China and central Asia.
Despite the show of military force, like the joint military maneuvers China has participated in with other countries, including the United States, it served to promote mutual trust among the participants.
"Such efforts are clear indication that China aspires to promote peace and harmony by reducing conflicts in the world," says Ruan Zongze, deputy director of the China Institute of International Studies.
The "harmonious society" is a political catchphrase in China today, by which President Hu Jintao aims to lead the government in closing the wealth divide and easing growing social tensions. The concept of a "harmonious world" is an extension of Hu's domestic policy into the arena of foreign relations.
Philosophical Traditions
Looking at the 5,000-year history of China, it becomes apparent the word "harmony" is not freshly coined political jargon, but a philosophical tradition.
Thousands of years ago, Chinese carved the character "He", which means harmony and peace, on tortoise shells, and philosopher Confucius (551 B.C. to 479 B.C.) expounded the philosophical concept of "harmony without uniformity", meaning a world is full of differences and contradictions, but the righteous man should balance them and achieve harmony.
Italian missionary Matteo Ricci, who came to China more than 400 years ago, wrote after studying Chinese history, and especially after comparing the Chinese and European history, that the Chinese were contented with the status quo and cherished harmony and peace. The Chinese nation by its nature had no ambition for overseas conquest, he concluded. (more)
Source: Xinhua
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