Photo: GT

Editor's Note:

The concept of "Hehe" in Chinese culture, with the first "He" embodying harmony, peace and balance and the second representing convergence, unity and cooperation, is central to both the individual and collective mind-set in China. Rooted in thousands of years of philosophy, the idea of "Hehe" serves as a guiding principle for living in harmony with others, nature and oneself. In a broader context, the concept of "Hehe" has significant relevance to the world today, as addressing the global challenges we face in various areas requires the principles that "Hehe" emphasizes. Viewed through a contemporary lens, "Hehe" is a timeless and universal concept that can guide China and the world toward a more harmonious, peaceful and balanced future. The Global Times gathers opinions from experts and scholars around the world to explore the global significance of "Hehe" culture from various perspectives. This is the seventh piece of the series.



The concept of Hehe culture, deeply rooted in Chinese tradition, has profoundly shaped China's historical and modern development. Living in Beijing for five years in the 1980s and for shorter periods in 2004, 2006, and 2008, I had many occasions to observe, and indeed to feel a part of, the dynamics of harmonious development.

The concept of harmony, represented by the first he in "Hehe," is deeply rooted in Chinese culture, as I discovered through reading classic Chinese literatures. Like many terms in literary Chinese, it encompasses a range of meanings, including peace and the blending of musical sounds as well as the basic idea of cooperation and mutually beneficial relations among people and communities. The concept appears in both the Book of Rites and Book of Documents. Harmony plays a central role in the thinking of Confucius and in the broader stream of Confucian discourse, which is at the core of China's historical political culture.

A couple of concepts have been important in recent discussions of China's development. The idea of a "harmonious society" resonates with the ancient linkage of musical harmony, the blending of multiple voices or instruments forming a complex but coherent sound, with social peace and tranquility. A harmonious society is not one of simple conformity, or a bland uniformity of ideas or interests. It's a dynamic realm within which people pursue, and hopefully realize, their full development as individuals and as members of a larger human community.

The concept of harmony played a significant role in understanding economic life. Mencius emphasized not only the social roles of various members of a community and the ways in which they interacted with one another, but also the necessity of harmonious relations between human groups and their natural environment. This includes planting and harvesting taking place at the appropriate seasons, and care being taken not to overexploit resources like timber or the fish in a pond. These sentiments also appear in the writings of Xunzi. While these prescriptions may not have been consistently followed, they provide a foundation in China's classical traditions for the importance of harmony and balance in social and economic life, as well as in the management of public affairs.

Another concept that has great significance in guiding modern China's economic development, xiaokang, or a "moderately prosperous society," also has close relations with the principles of Hehe culture. Rooted in the principle of blending individual and collective interests, Hehe culture seeks to create a society where diverse voices and needs are harmonized for mutual benefit. Similarly, the phrase "moderately prosperous society" describes a socialist community in which people achieve a level of material security and comfort without making endless growth for its own sake the ideal. By integrating Hehe culture's emphasis on coexistence and mutual flourishing, a moderately prosperous society ensures that prosperity uplifts all sections of society while maintaining social and ecological balance.

China's project of socialist construction, which aims to develop a harmonious and moderately prosperous society by weaving together ideas and aspirations from antiquity with the material development of a modern industrial economy, has been significantly advanced through what is known as whole-process people's democracy.

This can be seen as an application to the arts of governance of the ideal of harmony, not as a monolithic sameness, but as the lively interplay of social forces and economic interests in an ever-evolving itinerary moving toward a future of shared prosperity. 

In the modern world, no country or people is isolated from the global political and economic environment. This is especially the case for a country as large as China, both in terms of population and productivity.

China has achieved some of its developmental goals, steadily building on the advances made over the period of reform and opening-up. By achieving these goals, China has also reached out to other developing countries to engage in cooperative, mutually beneficial programs for constructing new infrastructures for trade and production, establishing new institutional systems for investment and the settlement of international accounts, and fostering an overall win-win approach to bilateral and multilateral relations. This embodies the second "he" in "Hehe," which generally emphasizes the significance of cooperation.

This is not a matter of China seeking to impose its own socialist system on other countries. Rather, in harmony with its classical traditions of Hehe culture, particularly the principle of "harmony without uniformity," China demonstrates leadership by setting a proper example. This approach reflects a respect for diversity and mutual coexistence, encouraging each country to explore its own development path based on its unique conditions. In building socialism with Chinese characteristics, China emphasizes cooperation and shared progress without coercion or interference.

If other countries and peoples find China's successes to be worth emulating, it is a reflection of the universal appeal of Hehe culture's ideals of mutual benefit and coexistence. This approach, rooted in harmony and inclusivity, underscores that China's vision of development is not about dominance, but about fostering a community with a shared future for mankind.

In essence, China's Hehe culture bridges its rich historical traditions with modern governance. By championing harmony at home and abroad, China offers a vision of balanced development and mutual benefit, contributing to a more peaceful and cooperative global future.

As with the ideal of a harmonious society and world, the blending of the many notes of social resonance into a symphony of development is an ongoing task aimed at building a better shared future for people around the world. While some long-established powers in the world desperately try to hold on to the power and privileges they have enjoyed, seeking to restrain the development of China and other emerging economies, the goals of harmony and common prosperity remain at the heart of China's quest for a socialist future.

The author is a professor of East Asian and global history at New Mexico State University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn