Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

The launch event for the new Chinese edition of A New Interpretation: How the Analects of Confucius Is Made by Japanese sinologist, Yoshihiro Watanabe, was held in Beijing on Sunday, bringing together Confucian scholars and publishing experts from both China and Japan.

As a classic of traditional Chinese culture, The Analects of Confucius sheds light on the political, ethical, and moral ideas of the ancient Chinese philosopher and political theorist Confucius. The book was introduced to Europe as early as the 17th century, and Confucius'  significance in Chinese civilization has consistently been compared to that of Western philosophers like Socrates.

In Japan, The Analects of Confucius not only continues to be widely read to this day, but also attracts generation after generation of scholars who devote themselves to its study. Watanabe, a Chinese historian and executive vice president of Waseda University, is among them. 

He noted that The Analects of Confucius was written by multiple authors over a long period of time and under different intellectual environments. This diverse process of formation has given the book a timeless universality, allowing it to be accepted by people from different eras and cultural backgrounds and to be interpreted in various ways. "Everyone who reads The Analects of Confucius will interpret it based on their own way of thinking," said Watanabe.

Meanwhile, the International Conference to Commemorate the 2,575th Anniversary of Confucius' Birth, which is also the 7th Congress of the International Confucian Association, opened in Beijing on Saturday. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, who addressed the opening ceremony, called for Confucianism and all outstanding traditional cultures to be carried forward and promoted, thereby making new contributions to the development of a human community with a shared future.

International officials and scholars from countries such as Japan, Italy and France delivered speeches either in person or through other means, emphasizing the importance of Confucianism in addressing crises and conflicts.

For over 2,000 years, the Confucian doctrine founded by Confucius, along with the ideas developed from it, has profoundly influenced the civilizations of China and other East Asian countries. 

Many important principles and concepts of Confucianism are deeply rooted in the Chinese people's way of viewing the universe, the world and society. They are an essential part of China's traditional culture, such as pursuing common good for all; regarding the people as the foundation of the state; governing by virtue; selecting officials on the basis of merit and acting in good faith and being friendly to others. These maxims of Confucianism have also become deeply intertwined with China's achievements, such as poverty alleviation, expanding free-trade ports and zones and sparing no efforts to expand opening-up.

"Chinese cultural treasures, represented by The Analects of Confucius, have an influence that far transcends national borders and have become part of the world's cultural heritage," Hu Min, chairman of the New Channel International Education Group, told the Global Times on Sunday while sharing the inspiration behind the introduction of the translated A New Interpretation by the Japanese sinologist. 

"We should not only advocate for Chinese culture going global but also for bringing the excellence of Chinese culture back by introducing the research achievements of global sinologists to China. This two-way cultural exchange helps us better understand ourselves, enriches our cultural perspectives, and provides a continuous source of inspiration for cultural innovation," said Hu.

"When the Great Way prevails, the world is for everyone." This sentence originates from Confucian classic The Book of Rites. It was followed by the description of Confucius' ideal society, known as the "Universal Harmony," a notion that explains China's foreign policy and its vision for a better world. The "Great Way" is referred to as the shared values of humanity, and the "Universal Harmony" is mirrored in the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

While dialogues on traditional cultures such as Confucianism can further promote the development of Chinese civilization and enrich global human civilization, they have provided humanity with Chinese insight and Chinese strength to address the global challenges confronting all of mankind and made contributions to the noble cause of human peace and development. Making ancient wisdom serve the present, they can provide insights for global governance and inspiration for understanding and transforming the world.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. life@globaltimes.com.cn