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Reading table #52 Bringing the West and China closer together?

by News Room
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In this section of the “articles on other websites” section, there are two pieces that present ideas from a geopolitical perspective on how to reverse the increasingly adversarial relationship between the West and China, and two pieces that pursue the same goal through a cultural or civilizational path. .

THE EAST HAS BEEN READ
Li Chen: Implementation of global security initiatives must be combined with innovation of ideas and concepts

Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed a global security initiative in 2022 to promote security for everyone in the world. The things of the worlda Chinese magazine State Departmentrecently organized a round table on the topic Global Security Initiative (GSI) and invited six scientists to discuss this. One of them is Li Chen, Associate Professor, Director Center for International Security and Strategy and vice dean School of International Studies towards Renmin University of China. Li is also known and respected in the West as an academic. He explained how GSI opposes the Western view of peace and security. But he said the success of the GSI depends on China taking a cautious, long-term approach rather than moving too fast and being overconfident. Instead, China should focus on what it can realistically achieve, show patience and refine its proposal over time. This view affects what, for example, China wants and can achieve with peace proposals for the war in Ukraine. The text of Li’s speech is preceded by a handy overview of what exactly GSI entails on The East is Read blog.

SINIFICATION
North Korean Forces in Russia: Implications for China | Author: Feng Yujun
Where Li Chen (see above) wrote his recipe for China (‘careful!’) also applies to itself and stays within the official guidelines of geopolitics, according to Feng Yujun’s SINIFICATON, “examines the limits of what can be published publicly”. Today, Feng is known as a strong opponent of Russian politics and especially the war in Ukraine. He believes that China should distance itself from Russia (see De Leestafel # 27, March 26). Based on this belief, he fears that Beijing will become too involved in North Korea now that the country appears to be supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine. Feng writes in this text: “Never assume that strength comes only from numbers. Often, having incompetent allies is more harmful than being isolated.” Are you interested in the impact of his statements on politics, if any.

CHINA 21 REVIEW
Looking at China through snapshots leads to misconceptions
INTERNATIONAL
Understanding China in a snapshot is impossible without watching the film
This is an e-book chapter that International does on the subject Understanding China (see reading table # included in the reading list file). You have to make time for it. The fact that there is a Dutch version is a bonus for many readers. Author Gordon Dumoulin wants to clarify the differences between Chinese and Western culture, which are partly due to differences in religious and philosophical influences. They offer a different view of history and international relations, and the author demonstrates this with concrete examples of historical periods and developments and their perception. He himself is convinced of the great value of ancient Chinese and Asian cultural ideas and attitudes and invites the reader to get to know them and be influenced by them. An important value is a holistic approach, and it is included in the title “Understanding China through snapshots is impossible without watching the whole film”. According to Dumoulin, understanding and respecting China can contribute to overturning (racist) prejudices and ultimately avoiding the armed conflicts that threaten us. See also If I were Chinese.

SACU.ORG
The Needham question was revisited

of Society of Anglo Chinese Understanding (SACU) is a British-Chinese Friendship Association. It was founded in 1965 by the famous academician and sinologist Joseph Needham. Chairman Chris Nash, who we posted about earlier, posted on SACU’s website People’s Republic of China, 75 years of progress played the song so called From the Needham question: “why modern science did not develop in Chinese (or Indian) civilization, but only in Europe.” Nash discusses two books that offer different answers to this question, but carefully draws his own conclusion, which incorporates the best ideas from the works discussed. Colonialism and imperialism play an important role in answering Needham’s question. Furthermore, SACU’s president believes that “embracing different values ​​may ultimately lead us away from a competitive mindset. difference in the west dominates towards a story that prioritizes collaboration and common purpose, a wealth of history that we must learn to share.

Soho Beijing by Zhang Kaiyv (Unsplash) Disclaimer

disclaimer other images: see the link to the article they belong to.

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