Transmission and Modernization

The Communist Party of China governs the country by both law and virtue. The report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC in October said "we will draw on China's fine traditional culture, keep alive and develop its vision, concepts, values and moral norms, and do so in a way that responds to the call of our era."

The ideas of Confucius, including rule by virtue, self-discipline in appeasing others and harmony in diversity, have been central to personal, family and social life in China.

Confucianism concerns the cultural rise of China, said Yan Binggang, deputy head of the Advanced Institute of Confucian Studies.

China is the center of international Confucianism, with the most research institutes, civil groups, academic exchanges and publications in this field, said Yan.

Yet Confucianism is often misinterpreted.

A study by Qin Hongwu and Kong Lei at Qufu Normal University, showed that unlike the studies of dissemination that focus on concepts and notions of Confucianism, the ideological and receptive aspects of communication are given more priority in overseas media of some countries.

Basic research into Confucian classics should continue to accurately transmit the concepts, said Liu Xubing, deputy head of Confucius Research Institute in Qufu.

Meanwhile, new research is necessary to combine traditional culture with the contemporary world, he added.

"We need not only cultural self-confidence. We should also work to make others understand our fine traditions," said Li Jingxue, president of Jining Cadres Political and Moral Education College in Qufu, dedicated to enhancing the ethics of trainees.

Chen Li has given lectures to high-level public servants from Vietnam, Cuba and Fiji and several Latin American countries. She conducted a survey among foreign learners during the lectures and found only half of them knew about Confucius.

"The foreign trainees showed strong interest in Chinese culture as represented by Confucianism," said Chen.

Cultures in the world have distinctive advantages regarding important subjects such as the relationship between man and nature, said Lu Zequan, researcher with Confucius Research Institute.

With an open attitude, the Chinese are willing to share the wisdom of their culture but it is up to others to judge and absorb it, he said.