Lingang New Area of Shanghai Free Trade Zone Photo: VCG

China's peaceful rise provides the world with stability, opportunities and momentum. However, the US and some Western countries have long harbored misconceptions or a "deficit in understanding" regarding China.

These misconceptions or "deficits in understanding" have appeared in various forms, at different times and under different historical conditions, but ultimately fall into two categories: the "China threat" narrative and the "China's collapse" narrative. These two theories are inherently contradictory. They reflect a lack of belief in the compatibility of peace and rise. More importantly, they demonstrate a failure to understand China - either by failing to recognize or by being unwilling to accept that China's rise is peaceful.

Theories such as "strong powers will inevitably seek hegemony" and "the Thucydides Trap" are merely based on Western frameworks of historical, cultural and behavioral norms. Yet some Westerners tend to apply them to China. These theories draw on Western experiences to predict China's future, often assuming that China will simply follow the same path. This approach is akin to measuring a noble heart with a narrow mind.

Since ancient times, China has had many terms related to "harmony." Concepts such as "harmony in diversity," "harmonious coexistence," and "Cherish one's own beauty, respect other's beauty, and when both beauties are respected and cherished, the world will become one" are deeply embedded in Chinese culture. Development is a fundamental right for every country. China seeks both peace and growth, and through the new opportunities brought by Chinese modernization, it aims to contribute more momentum to global peace and world development. 

China is committed to following a path of peaceful rise, continuously developing and refining its theories and practices along this path. This has resulted in a series of Chinese thoughts on peace and development under the guidance of the theory of building a community with a shared future for mankind. These include the three global initiatives: Global Security Initiative, Global Development Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative - as well as the Belt and Road Initiative. Together, they demonstrate China's desire to share and develop collaboratively with the world, ultimately achieving a shared and peaceful rise. Chinese modernization is the most comprehensive embodiment of China's path.

The task of China's think tanks and media circles should be to continuously expose the fallacies of various forms of the "China threat" narrative and "China collapse" narrative. Our efforts aim to explain to the world why, throughout the history of the West's rise, peace and rise were seen as incompatible, while in China's case, peace and rise are not only possible but already happening.

In fact, China's history to date has proven that we have the ability and willingness to rise peacefully while maintaining peace. This will continue to be demonstrated.

China will open its doors wider, inviting more people to come and see. Facts speak louder than words, and China's peaceful development is the most convincing reality for the world. In the early days of reform and opening-up, China took the initiative to embrace the world, and in return, the world embraced China. Today, some in the US and the West are attempting to contain and disrupt China's peaceful rise, trying to lock China's doors from the outside and sever its connections with the world. In this context, we must take the initiative to open our doors even wider, remove external obstacles and embrace the world more strongly.

The article is compiled by Global Times reporter based on an interview with Feng Wei, vice chairman of China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn