China can still learn from Confucius
Confucius and his teachings were once denounced as the source of everything that was wrong with China. Beijing's decision to name its overseas cultural centres after the ancient sage should therefore come as a surprise.
Until now, it was something that had gone unnoticed in Hong Kong. But that should change following yesterday's establishment of the Confucius Institute at Polytechnic University. The British Council, Alliance Francaise and the Goethe-Institut have the respective support of the British, French and German governments to promote their national tongues overseas. Similarly, Confucius Institutes are the bodies through which China projects its cultural influence. By naming the institutes after Confucius, Beijing sends the strongest message possible that it has broken with its tumultuous past.
The philosopher who lived 2,500 years ago taught that compassion, self-restraint and respect for elders should form the basis of interpersonal relations, and that virtue should be the single most important quality of leaders. While he failed to persuade any ruler in his day to carry out what he preached, his teachings were to form the foundations of Chinese social and political life for generations after his death.
Confucius' teachings have been criticised for breeding a culture of submission to authority. But the blame should probably lie with rulers - including contemporary ones - who invoked his words posthumously to shore up their own authority. Anyone who takes the trouble to digest his cryptic remarks cannot but be amazed by his insights. Just as Goethe is synonymous with the best of German culture, Confucius is still the most important Chinese philosopher, and the one best known to foreigners. As China reaches out to the outside world, there is no better means of projecting the country's 'soft power' than promoting his pacifist teachings.
Soft power is the term coined by Harvard University's Joseph Nye to refer to a country's ability to get what it wants through attraction rather than coercion. The former US assistant secretary of defence in the Clinton administration holds that in the 21st century, political leaders have to be both feared and loved to be effective.
The Chinese people should have no difficulty appreciating Professor Nye's views. Historically, enlightened Chinese leaders favoured using the soft power of Chinese culture to defuse tensions with its neighbours, as Confucius had preached, although there was no lack of others who opted to throw their weight around. At one time, China was the most powerful country in the region, enjoying a status not unlike that enjoyed by the US today. The country founded on Confucianism was admired not just for its economic and military prowess, but also its advanced political institutions and cultural achievements. Chinese used to be the lingua franca among the East Asian elite, just as English is the international language now.