Chinese scholars from the World Civilization Research Association claim that some European languages, including English, are dialects derived from Mandarin.
The group is formed by scholars from a number of Chinese academic institutions.
The claim, which is said to be backed by over 20 years of research, was presented at the first China International Frontier Education Summit in Beijing, China last July, as reported by Sina Online on Aug. 26 via Vice yesterday, Sept 9.
Zhai Guiyun, vice president and secretary-general of the group, told Sina Online via Taiwan News last Aug. 31, that some English words derive from Mandarin.
He pointed out that “yellow” resembled “yeluo, ” the Mandarin word for “leaf falling, ” while “heart” resembled “hede, ” the Mandarin word for “core.”
“Of course, the pronunciation will be a little different, which is caused by the variations in pronunciation over hundreds or even thousands of years in different regions, ” Zhai told Sina Online via Vice. “Think about how significant the differences are in our regional dialects... so it can be said that English is like a ‘dialect’ in our country.”
Zhai concluded that the examples he presented “proved” English is a Mandarin dialect.
Along with this claim, he also stated that other European-based languages such as French, German and Russian also went through a similar process of sinicization, where non-Chinese societies come under the influence of Chinese culture.
Another member of the association, Zhu Xuanshi added that Europe had no history before the 15th century.
This lack of history supposedly led the Europeans to feel “ashamed, ” and in turn, had “fabricated” stories of the ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations. According to the report by Taiwan News, he stated that the said civilizations were all based on Chinese history.
In an attempt to “restore the truth of world history, ” the association has set up branches in Canada, Madagascar, South Korea, Thailand, United States and United Kingdom. The group’s founder, Du Gangjian said, “Do not let fake, Western-centered history hinder the great Sino-Renaissance.”
However, the claims did not convince many Chinese citizens. Users of the social media platform Weibo called the members of the association “Wolf Warrior Scholars, ” a reference to a patriotic Chinese movie.
“Thanks, ” one user was quoted as saying. “We can no longer laugh at the Koreans who claimed Confucius and Genghis Khan are Korean.” – Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network
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The Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations (CDAC) begins Wednesday in Beijing with over 2,000 government officials and representatives from 47 Asian countries and other participating regions in attendance.c
The event is yet another diplomatic effort by China following the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and the 2019 Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition.
The CDAC marks the first time Asian countries have gathered for cross-cultural exchange, adding to the event's historical groundbreaking significance.
The necessity of the CDAC is highlighted by Western reaction. Some Westerners, trapped in geopolitical thought, view the event as a competition between China and the West.
This way of thinking leads to estrangement and conflict between civilizations, turning dialogue into an increasingly global concern.
At this juncture, whomever stands up and to promote dialogue and exchange among civilizations will create future benefits for the following centuries. It's not an accident the CDAC was born in Asia and initiated by China.
Asia is a vast continent with diverse civilizations and religions. If different entities can achieve inclusiveness, mutual learning, and become closer with one another, it will be a success over the experiment of unilateralism.
With uneven development and as the former victims of the Cold War, Asian countries are concerned with equality and independence, the foundation required for civilizations to achieve peaceful coexistence.
China is the most powerful country in Asia, opposing hegemonism and confrontation while advocating harmonious coexistence and cross-cultural learning. CDAC is part of China's endeavor to realize what that entails, and only time will prove the significance of China's exploration.
As the birthplace of modernization and globalization, the West occupies a natural position in the international political arena. Many Westerners are obsessed with Western style centralism. However, in recent years, they have seen the rapid development of non-Western countries, and Asian countries in particular, which has made them sensitive and narrow-minded.
Western vigilance, mistrust, and hostility toward foreign civilizations only agitate their differences and contradictions, and can ignite bloody conflicts.
Globalization is at an inflection point. At a time when China is trying to bridge the gaps between different civilizations, the US is in search of border wall funding. While China expands and opens up in more areas, the US closes its door to technological, educational, and social and science exchanges.
A rift between Western civilizations and non-Western civilizations is unbearable to today's world. Whether Western civilization can be more inclusive will determine the course of globalization. Any far-sighted, rational-thinking person will be excited with the progress achieved during the CDAC.
Adapting to modern times is the Asian continent's mission and China is willing to work with Asian countries to achieve a harmonious coexistence.
Cultural superiority is stupid and disastrous, Chinese President Xi Jinping warns as US tensions persist
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that one
civilisation forcing itself on another would be “stupid” and
“disastrous” as he called on nations to respect each other on Wednesday,
with Beijing embroiled in rising confrontation with the United States
on trade as well as military and cultural matters.
In a
speech at the start of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian
Civilisations – designed for Beijing to show its soft power – Xi did not
mention any nation by name, but said nobody should regard their race as
superior.
The speech came two weeks after US
State Department director of policy planning Kiron Skinner described
strategic competition with China as “a fight with a really different
civilisation and a different ideology”. Skinner said it was the first
time the US had faced a “great power competitor that is not Caucasian”.
Chinese
officials have rejected Skinner’s remarks, and in his speech Xi
appeared to expand on the theme, saying cultures were distinctive but no
better or worse than each other.
“If someone
thinks their own race and civilisation is superior and insists on
remoulding or replacing other civilisations, it would be a stupid idea
and disastrous act,” Xi said.
“We should hold
up equality and respect, abandon pride and prejudice, deepen our
knowledge about the differences between our own and other civilisations,
and promote harmonious dialogue and coexistence between civilisations.”
He
went on to say: “If countries retreat back to secluded islands, human
civilisation will die out because of a lack of exchanges.”
Xi
stressed that people should step beyond the limits of their own culture
to discover the advantages of others, and argued it was the best way to
inspire innovation.
“All civilisations must progress with time and keep up with the latest achievement,” he said.
The
president suggested that the Belt and Road Initiative, his
transcontinental infrastructure strategy, was also a means to promote
cooperation between nations.
“The Belt and Road … and other initiatives have expanded the channels for civilisation exchanges,” he said.
Beijing
last month held the Belt and Road Forum to showcase its trade and
infrastructure projects in countries in Asia to Africa.
The speech reiterated the idea, which Xi has aired previously,
of a community of shared destiny, arguing that Asian countries should
open and connect their polices, infrastructures, trade, investment and
people.
Asia must maintain peace as the precondition of economic growth, which is the pillar of civilisation, he argued.
“All countries should conduct exchanges beyond borders of state, time
and civilisations, and work together to protect the peaceful time we
have, which is more precious than gold,” Xi said.
“Children
and women are suffering from poverty, hunger and diseases in Asia. This
has to be changed,” he said, calling on Asian nations to “work together
to promote an open, inclusive, balanced and mutually beneficial
globalised economy, eradicating poverty”.
Xi proposed
deeper cultural exchanges, saying that China would cooperate with more
Asian nations to translate their literature and would promote inward and
outward tourism.
“This can facilitate the appreciation and understanding of different cultures,” he said.
Stating
that China received 140 million overseas tourists last year while 160
million Chinese made visits abroad, Xi said tourism could promote
economic growth and friendship in Asia.
China would increase exchanges involving young people and think tanks, he added.
The Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations will be held from May
15 to 22 in Beijing, and Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the
event and deliver a keynote speech, officials said at a press conference
on Thursday. #AsianCivilizations#XiJinping
https://youtu.be/DheuG_oEFaM
The Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations will kick off in Beijing soon. It is China's attempt to promote understanding among different civilizations, inclusive development, and to respond to the theory of the Clash of Civilizations with the philosophy of building a community with a shared future for mankind.
During the just-concluded second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, China defined the future of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a route that brings together different civilizations. It reflects China's ample confidence in the initiative to enhance civilizational exchanges, mutual understanding and civilized coexistence. Through BRI, countries can understand, respect, and trust one another.
Differences do exist between China and the US - the two most influential powers in the world - in terms of civilizations. Some in the US are even prejudiced about China's culture and disagree with the country's development path and value system.
China has always advocated mutual learning between civilizations. The country needs to strengthen its power of discourse and show Chinese civilization's unique charm to the US, the West, and the entire international community. The dialogue between Chinese and American civilizations, an important part of the dialogue of global civilizations, is of great significance in building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Over the years, China and the US have already explored quite a lot in this regard. At the Mar-a-Lago summit between Chinese and US leaders in 2017, the two sides agreed to establish high-level dialogue mechanisms, including social and people-to-people contact. In addition, Chinese and US scholars organized the Sino-American Dialogue on Core Values as early as in 2011. The Foreign Affairs magazine published an article titled "China vs. America: Managing the Next Clash of Civilizations" in 2017.
Surprisingly, recent reports by the Washington Examiner and Voice of America indicate that the US State Department is developing strategies in response to the "clash" with Chinese civilization.
The Clash of Civilizations is a theory proposed in 1993 by Samuel Huntington, a well-known US political scholar who teaches at Harvard University. He argued that the clash of civilizations, instead of ideological and economic clashes, will be the primary source of conflict in the post-Cold War world. He conjectured that the core of international politics will be the interaction between Western and non-Western civilizations.
Huntington predicted that the clash of civilizations would be especially manifested in Western-Islamic conflicts after the Cold War. It is puzzling that US officials are now turning to China.
The Clash of Civilizations theory targeting China seems to be gaining traction among anti-China forces in the US. The National Security Strategy issued by the White House in late 2017 labeled China as a strategic competitor. The US adverse policies toward China have created obstacles in the path of smooth China-US relations.
If the US Department of State continues to promote policy measures against China based on the Clash of Civilizations, ties will be further hurt, and more specific steps taken. Not only that, the US may also take advantage of this theory and force other countries to follow its lead in containing China.
However, such attempts by adversarial US forces will eventually fall flat.
Their argument of Clash of Civilizations, violating mainstream American values based on pluralism and inclusiveness, has already triggered heated debate inside the US. Some senior US experts studying China have criticized the view for lacking understanding of China.
It will be tough if the US attempts to lead the West to a civilizational battle with China. The damage caused by the "America First" theory has yet to heal. Describing US competition with China as the clash of civilization may once again create contradictions and panic. Dialogue of civilizations is needed rather than a cold war.
By Xi Laiwang Source:Global Times
The author is a senior reporter and an observer of international issues. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn
