In this talk presented to us , the speaker Martin Jacques comprehends his study on understanding the rise of China. He displays a chart according to Goldman Sachs projections, by 2050 the Chinese economy will be the largest in the world . Its an illusion in the west or many people think this way that societal modernization in China means Westernization, but that will not be China’s path. In this talk the speaker offers three building blocks to understand how differently Chinese think.
First is “China isn’t really a nation state”. Modern China was born in 221 BC after the Qin emerged as winners among the Warring States. The Chinese sense of identity is based on the “civilization state”. Holding this gigantic task, which is why unity is the most important political value for the Chinese. The West become fragmented after the abolishment of Roman Empire but China remained united with the values of its ancestors. Secondly, “The Chinese have a very different conception of race”.The vast majority of Chinese claim they belong to one race: the Han. This common identity has glued the Chinese people together. China may be diverse but are fundamentally shaped by their civilization. Lastly,“The Chinese have a very different view of the state”. For the Chinese, the state plays a paternal role that is vital to the cohesiveness of the civilization. In China the state’s power is not limited in fact it has its own legitimacy and authority. China had always been involved in the infrastructure and some of the spectacular architectures are The Great Wall Of China, Grand Canal and Three Gorges Dam.
To conclude the talk Martin Jacques tells us more about the West, especially Europe, is becoming less relevant to world affairs. Western society must embrace that change and become more open to learning about these cultures.
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