Will a stronger China seek hegemony?

China's fast growth over these years has become a concern for some in the world, especially those who are biased against the country and convinced that it will inevitably become a hegemon once its power permits. In their eyes, China is the Mephistopheles of the world, a devil that is ready to make other countries pay a hefty price someday. The perception, however, is nothing but a complete misrepresentation of the truth. 

The Chinese are, by nature, a peace-loving people. Promoting harmony among all countries and bringing the world together as one big family are ideas that have been passed down from generation to generation, ones that shaped our beliefs and actions as a nation. We are told by our ancestors that "a belligerent country, however strong it is, is doomed to fail." Over the past centuries, the Chinese people have been actively engaged in overseas trade and exchanges, instead of going out for aggression or military expansion. For example, Zheng He, a Chinese navigator who lived more than 600 years ago, led the world's most powerful fleet at the time on seven voyages through the Pacific and the Indian Oceans. Instead of provoking conflicts, Zheng He and his fleet sowed seeds of peace and friendship in the more than 30 countries and regions they visited, leaving behind them delightful accounts of cultural exchanges with the local people. 

We have also learnt the importance of peace from the hardships our people endured in more recent times. China's modern history is about how endless misery and humiliation was inflicted upon a nation falling behind in development. It is also a record of the same nation's heroic struggle against foreign aggression for national independence. Hence we will never forget the pain and suffering of being the subject of foreign aggression. War is the last thing we want. As Confucius taught us, "Don't do unto others what you don't want done unto you," we will never impose what we have suffered to any other people in the world. 

China rejects the assertion that hegemony is the inevitable result of a country growing in power, though this seems to be an "iron law" that applies to many of the historical great powers whose rise came with external aggression. We now live in a different world, where aspiration for peace and development is shared by all countries. No one can afford to move in the other direction by resorting to the old practice of colonialism and hegemonism, all because any such attempt is doomed to be a disastrous failure. Choosing the path of peaceful development is the only timely move that will take a country to greater prosperity. 

Napoleon Bonaparte allegedly said that "China is a sleeping lion," and "Let China sleep. For when she wakes, the world will tremle." The China has woken up, but instead of being shaken by it, the world sees how peaceful, amiable, and well-mannered it is. Once an ancient civilization in the East, and now a proud and peace-loving member of the global community, China is closer than ever to taking center stage in the world, ready to play a greater role in shaping a brighter future shared by all. 

The views don't necessarily reflect those of Qiushi Journal.