When Chinese ancients carved the character "He", which means harmony, on tortoise shells thousands of years ago, they might never expect how profoundly the philosophy the word carries would influence their later generations.

"The Chinese nation has always pursued a life in harmony with other nations despite differences," Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing writes in a signed article, explaining the Chinese way to coexist with others.

The thought of harmony without uniformity came from Chinese philosopher Confucius who lived from 551 BC to 479 BC. "This thought is a major component of the Chinese culture that highlights a harmonious union of people in the world," said Zhang Liwen, a professor with the Beijing-based Renmin University.

According to him, the culture of harmony emphasizes coordination, combination, integration and peace among different elements. "It is a reflection of the Chinese people's ethical quality and a basic thought of China's modern diplomacy."

Keeping firmly in mind the modern history of foreign powers' invasion and oppression, the Chinese people are extremely yearning for stability and peace.

"Having suffered bitterly from the scourge of war in modern times, the Chinese people are keenly aware of the value of peace," Chinese President Hu Jintao said Saturday.

"China is forever an important force safeguarding world peace. China have never sought hegemony, and never will in the future," Hu said at the grand meeting to mark the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression and world anti-fascist war.

China's aspiration for a harmonious union with others is well demonstrated in its way to handle conflicts, especially over the past few years.

With the principle of equal consultation as well as mutual understanding and accommodation, China has signed boundary treaties or agreements with 12 of its 14 neighbors, demarcating 90 percent of its 22,000-kilometer-long land border.

On the disputes over oceanic resources, China proposed the principle of "shelving differences for joint exploration" and has reached agreements on joint development of mineral resources with several neighbors including Vietnam and the Philippines.

Zheng Bijian, chairman of the China Reform Forum, said China's performance on the world stage proved that it is not a "challenger of the existing international order, but a participant."

Following its entry into the World Trade Organization, China initiated the Shanghai Cooperation Organization with Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to maintain regional peace, security and stability.

It also enhanced dialogues with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and took measures to improve relations with neighboring countries especially with India.

China has actively cooperated with the United States in the fight against terrorism and developed relations with the European Union.

On the most sensitive and complicated Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, China has managed to host four rounds of negotiations in a bid to seek a peaceful solution.

"As a beneficiary of the new round of economic globalization, China advocates the idea that the global political and economic order should be improved through reforms rather than violent means," said Zheng, a former senior government.

"One would make serious strategic misjudgment of China's development path in the 21st century if he failed to see the Chinese leadership's core thoughts that go with the trend of the times," he said. "And the misjudgment would lead to historical mistakes."

In fact, China's culture of harmony has been well perceived by many Westerners.

British philosopher Bertrand A. W. Russell in his book the Problem of China described the Chinese people's "pacific temper" as the nation's supreme ethical quality, which seeks to settle disputes on grounds of justice rather than by force.

According to Russell, the ethical quality is something that the modern world most desperately needs, and if it were adopted by the world, there would be more happiness and peace.

Source: Xinhua