Zheng Yongnian: Wang Yis academic contribution and real value

Author: Zheng Yongnian

Wang Yanwu is one of the most outstanding Chinese scholars in modern times.On October 9, 1930, he was born in a Chinese family in Surabaya, Indonesia.He then grew up in Malaysia, completed his studies in Singapore and Britain, and started a glorious academic career in Malaysia, Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore.It is conceivable that such a diverse cultural experience has deeply affected his life and academic research.

Wang Xiuwu's greatest academic contribution is to conceptual interpretation of the complex relationship between China and the world.His academic achievements also won the name of a gentleman.With rich life experience, profound understanding of different cultural civilizations, academic imagination, and enthusiasm for China and the world, Wang Yanwu is very different, and even the seemingly irreconcilable two worlds.

One of the most important concepts in his works is Chinese nature, and the continuous changes in Chinese nature from the two levels of domestic and international.

As an ancient civilization, China has undergone continuous and fierce changes.Wang Yanwu, who was born in historians, studied three rise in China, namely Qin, Han, Tang, Song, and Ming and Qing Dynasties.Every rise has profoundly changed many aspects of the politics of the feudal dynasty in China.Wang Yanwu's interest subsequently shifted to the evolution of Chinese humanity in modern Chinese history.After the invasion of the Western power, China has experienced rapid changes and has become an example worthy of in -depth research.Chinese and Western scholars' controversy in modernization and westernization runs through Wang Yuli's academic career. Many scholars believe that the two are basically equal.

Wang Yanwu agreed with the influence of the Western world's great changes in China, but he emphasized that China maintains its unique appearance in the context of the rise of nationalism and the rejuvenation of Confucianism.Modernization does not turn China into Western -style countries as much as many people expected.He believes that despite the change of the times, the alternation of the regime, the ups and downs of the crisis, Confucianism is still new, and the rise of the May 4th movement and communism has not allowed it to retreat.

At the international level, Wang Xunwu combined with Chinese nature and the world view.He published an article on the relationship between China and Southeast Asia in the early Ming Dynasty more than 50 years ago, and included in the world order of China compiled by Fei Zhengqing: the Chinese foreign relations (The Chinese World Order: TRADITIONAL CHINARSQUO; S Foreign Relations),For the first time, it attracted the attention of the world academic community.This article uses the world as the logic of the text, and explains the basic criteria and practice of the feudal dynasty tribute system.

In Wang Yanwu's view, all issues related to China on the international stage today are whether China intends to implement a modern tribute system for other countries.China is neither the founder of the world's new order nor pursue the current order of the United States.On the contrary, Wang Yanwu believes that the basic view of Chinese nature is that everything has changed, but the change is unchanged.

Based on this, the current international system is destined to change.Today's international order does not represent the eternal international order, but the product of the value orientation and interests of the victory of the country in World War II.China accepts part of the interests of the country in the world order, but it does not want the system itself to remain unchanged.Today's rules, guidelines, and systems are neither universal nor eternal. China is neither a revised country nor a big country.

But this does not mean that China will eventually fall into the so -called Xiu Xidide trap, or it is a military confrontation that is often common in the great power and the rising power.From the perspective of Chinese nature, Wang Yanwu is expected to be realized, and civilized conflicts are not inevitable.

First of all, Chinese history has proven that ancient China is different from other empires; the vision of China today is also different from the United States.China's expansion has become a history of history, and China has not been able to obtain regional or global dominant positions by spreading its political systems and rules to other sovereign countries.Secondly, a more fundamental point is that the Chinese nature itself points to the inherent respect for human and human dignity, and the mediation of cultural diversity.

The threat of China is not the rejuvenation of the thoughts and rigorous tribute systems of the heavenly dynasty, but in case the crisis will appear in case of the actions of Japanese imperialism or the actions of the United States.If China really imitates or draws on their concepts, conflicts may happen.The root cause of the problem will not be Chinese, but non -Chinese.

At present, China and the United States are in a tension. In this context, Wang Xi's views have a better reference value for the mutual understanding of China and the West.

This article is translated from the Asian Voices series of East Asia Forum (EAF), which aims to praise the contribution of Asian outstanding scholars and thinkers to understand Asia.

Wang Yanwu, Australian Official Medal (AO) and the British Empire Commander (CBE) won the honor, Australian National University Honorary Retirement professor, and a special professor at the National University of Singapore.He is the former director of the Institute of Institute of Institute of Institute of Esque; the former Director of the Institute of Institute of Southeast Asia, the State University of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew Public Police Institute and the former chairman of the Director of the East Asian Institute, as well as the former president of the University of Hong Kong.He is also an academician of the Australian Academy of Humanities. He was the dean of the Academy and the honorary academician of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the winners of Singapore.

Professor Wang Xiwu's main works include The Nanhai Trade (1958), community and country: China, Southeast Asia and Australia (Community and National: CHINA, Southeast Asia, And Australia) (1992): from the leaves from falling leaves to pursuitThe Chinese Overseas: From Earthbound China to the Quest For Autonomy (2000) and update China: The Chinese: The Chinese States and the New Global History) (2013).Professor Wang has made a long -term contribution to the East Asia Forum.

Author Zheng Yongnian is the Dean of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) Global and Contemporary China Higher Research Institute

Translator: Liang Wanshan