Nigeria Times

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

Japan and the Philippines have recently deepened their ties and undertaken a series of moves that have raised concerns across the region.

From kicking off the so-called maritime delimitation talks to advancing intelligence sharing, defense equipment transfers and joint military drills, the two countries are exploiting the pretext of “security cooperation” to stoke bloc confrontation and heighten regional security risks.

Such negative moves run counter to the broader regional aspiration for peace, development and cooperation. They have drawn concern from the region and sparked debate within the international community.

The so-called maritime delimitation talks between Japan and the Philippines lack any legal basis and seriously infringe upon China’s maritime rights and interests. 

During Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.’s visit to Japan, the two sides announced the formal launch of negotiations on the delimitation of their exclusive economic zones and continental shelves. This move marked another dangerous step in closer Japan-Philippines collusion aimed at disrupting regional stability.

The area the two countries announced they will delimit is east of China’s Taiwan island. According to China’s domestic law and international law including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), China has exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in this area. 

As per UNCLOS, the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf between states with opposite or adjacent coasts shall be effected by the states concerned by agreement on the basis of equity. Any delimitation concerning waters to the east of Taiwan must have China as a party to the talks. 

Japan and the Philippines’ attempt to bypass China and initiate the so-called maritime delimitation talks constitutes a severe violation of UNCLOS and other international laws and basic norms governing international relations. China has lodged formal diplomatic protests with both countries and firmly opposes what it considers an illegal and invalid process.

In the defense sphere, Japan and the Philippines continue strengthening their increasingly integrated security framework. During Marcos’ visit, both sides agreed to begin negotiations on a military intelligence protection agreement, elevated bilateral ties to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” and accelerated efforts to transfer defense equipment.

Particularly troubling was Japan’s role during this year’s joint United States-Philippines “Balikatan” military exercises. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces not only dispatched combat personnel on a large scale for participation for the first time, but also openly launched two Type-88 shore-based anti-ship missiles from Philippine territory. This marked the first time since the end of World War II that Japan has launched offensive missiles overseas. 

Japanese media analysts argue that the governments of Japan and the Philippines are using so-called regional security concerns as justification for building a quasi-alliance and constructing an exclusive regional security framework.

The growing collusion between Japan and the Philippines poses serious threats to regional peace and security. 

As a defeated country in World War II, Japan should have drawn profound lessons from history and abided by its pacifist constitution and the principle of exclusively defense-oriented national security. 

Regrettably, Japanese right-wing forces have kept breaking through the bounds of the post-war peace order. They have lifted the ban on exports of lethal weapons, built up long-range strike capabilities, expanded military presence via the Philippines, and pushed forward its Indo-Pacific strategy. Under the pretext of “security cooperation”, Japan has even sent military forces overseas.

A Japanese scholar noted that Japan’s current diplomatic moves still reflect bloc-confrontation thinking, yet such zero-sum mindset is increasingly disconnected from today’s realities.

The Philippines, too, bears a painful historical memory of Japanese militarism. During World War II, brutal Japanese colonial rule and massacres caused the deaths of more than one million Filipinos through warfare and famine. The brutal massacres that took place in Manila in 1945 alone claimed the lives of more than 100,000 civilians. Today, despite this history, the current Philippine government has accelerated its alignment with Japan and has even actively accommodated Japan’s “neo-militarism” tendencies. This represents a typical form of geopolitical opportunism.

On one hand, the Philippine side seeks to use Japanese resources to compensate for weaknesses in maritime defense and pursue improper maritime rights and interests through exclusive groupings. 

On the other hand, it hopes to secure short-term security dividends by tying itself to outside powers while shifting attention away from domestic governance challenges through the exaggeration of external tensions. 

Such short-sighted behavior is pushing the Philippines into an extremely dangerous position. As pointed out by Herman Tiu Laurel, president of the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, a Manila-based think tank, “The Philippines should not tie itself to Japan’s war chariot. This does not help safeguard the Philippines’ national security or strategic autonomy. It will continue undermining regional peace and stability and ultimately harm the Philippines itself.”

The Asia-Pacific should remain a region defined by peace and development, rather than be a chessboard for those pursuing narrow interests. By insisting on importing bloc confrontation into the region, Japan and the Philippines have increasingly become sources of instability threatening peace in the Asia-Pacific.

Japan should face history squarely, act prudently, and stop moving further down the path of military expansion. The Philippines is likewise advised to follow the broader regional trend toward peace and development and avoid tying itself to the strategic agendas of other countries. 

Any actions that provoke confrontation and undermine regional stability will ultimately face united opposition from regional countries and the broader international community.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

By Bai Ziwei, People’s Daily

Recently, prominent British scholar Martin Jacques shared his analysis of Chinese modernization with People’s Daily, examining China’s trajectory through lenses of civilizational evolution, governance, and global transformation.

As a long-time China observer and author of influential works including When China Rules the World: The End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order, Jacques has established himself as a leading international voice on China’s development. He contends that China’s development has fundamentally challenged Western assumptions, particularly the notion that Westernization was prerequisite for success.

Jacques identifies the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) effective state capacity as the pivotal driver behind the nation’s economic transformation — what he characterizes as the “intellectual engine” of China’s historic progress. He emphasizes that achieving modernization at China’s unprecedented scale represents a unique phenomenon in human history.

Between 1979 and 2023, China’s economy expanded at an extraordinary 8.9% average annual rate, far exceeding global averages. Jacques notes this combination of speed and scale has created a distinctive industrialization model, achievable only through the CPC’s decisive leadership — a factor he deems indispensable to China’s modernization.

The scholar describes China as developing a novel governance approach he terms “science-based governance,” enabling simultaneous focus on immediate priorities and long-term strategy — a capability he believes eludes many nations. He further highlights China’s adaptive governance system, which maintains stability while avoiding institutional rigidity through continuous reform.

Jacques attributes China’s sustained development momentum to its robust public opinion mechanisms coupled with strategic foresight. Crucially, he identifies civilizational continuity as central to China’s stability, noting how millennia of history have forged strong cultural confidence — from the 5,000-year-old civilizational roots to the imperial unification over two millennia ago.

Beyond transforming China itself, Jacques asserts Chinese modernization is reshaping global dynamics. Since joining the WTO, China has consistently advocated for more equitable international systems. He credits China with catalyzing the Global South’s collective rise through both its development model and platforms like the Belt and Road Initiative.

As Global South nations move toward international centrality, Jacques observes history accelerating at unprecedented rates. He notes the expanding influence of China’s four major global initiatives (Global Development, Security, Civilization, and Governance Initiatives), positioning China as an increasingly vital force for global stability.

Looking ahead, Jacques expresses strong confidence in China’s trajectory, highlighting technological parity with the U.S. and leadership in fields like artificial intelligence. He positions China as an increasingly significant development model offering valuable lessons worldwide.

Projecting a decade forward, Jacques anticipates China will globally come to symbolize modernity itself.

By Xie Yahong, Li Anqi, People’s Daily

In a recent interview with People’s Daily, Nikiforos Diamandouros, president of the Academy of Athens, stressed the importance of dialogue between Greek and Chinese civilizations amid escalating global governance challenges and declining international trust.

“Aristotle, in his seminal work Politics, defined the polis as a community dedicated to achieving ‘the good life,’ Diamandouros noted. “He contended that true politics must embody moral practice serving the common good.” Drawing parallels, he observed, “Similarly, Confucius articulated in The Analects the principle of ‘guiding people through virtue and regulating them through ritual,’ revealing the profound humanism embedded in Chinese traditional culture.”

“Both civilizations fundamentally agree,” the scholar asserted, “that social stability rests upon individual moral character and a balanced relationship between individual and collective aspirations.” Against a backdrop of eroding global trust and intensifying governance crises, Diamandouros stressed that “dialogue and exchanges between our two civilizations possess unique contemporary relevance.”

Diamandouros noted that while globalization has fostered economic interdependence, it has not commensurately deepened mutual cultural understanding. As cultural tensions and geopolitical conflicts resurface globally, humanity faces a pivotal challenge: creatively coexisting amid profound differences. 

“A sustainable international order cannot rest solely on economic power or military deterrence. It also requires shared values and cross-cultural trust. That is why I believe the Chinese philosophy of harmony without uniformity is among the most relevant contributions of traditional Chinese thought to today’s world order,” Diamandouros said.

The second World Conference of Classics, themed “Dialogue between Ancient and Modern: Contemporary Inspirations from Classical Wisdom,” has kicked off in Athens, Greece. Diamandouros believes the conference’s greatest significance lies in creating a platform for international-minded exchange, where different civilizations can be studied in a non-confrontational and complementary manner while expressing humanity’s shared pursuit of knowledge, justice, and moral values.

“I hope this conference will encourage young scholars to revisit classical texts, not as museum artifacts, but as living sources of reflection on the major questions facing the modern world. Here, the study of classical civilizations can become a bridge for mutual understanding, peaceful coexistence, and joint creation,” he said.

In recent years, institutions such as the Center of Chinese and Greek Ancient Civilizations and the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens have been established. Archaeological cooperation, academic exchanges, and reciprocal scholar visits have also expanded. Academic collaboration between China and Greece has evolved into a more institutionalized form of cooperation and has become an indispensable component of the broader friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

“Greece-China collaboration illustrates that great civilizations need not compete,” he concluded. “Through dialogue, knowledge exchange, and mutual respect, they collectively shape our shared future.” The scholar identified promising fields for enhanced cooperation, including comparative political philosophy, archaeology, heritage preservation, linguistics, intellectual history, and crucially, technology ethics amid AI’s rapid development.

“Integrating contemporary technological research with our rich humanist traditions,” Diamandouros proposed, “could yield more human-centered AI governance frameworks.” He further observed that Greece and China, as civilizations with unbroken histories and rich intellectual legacies, share profound affinities. The burgeoning warmth between their societies and peoples offers, in his view, “a forceful rebuttal to the ‘clash of civilizations’ narrative.”

“This illustrates how different civilizations can peacefully coexist and mutually enrich one another. The collaboration between Greece and China exemplifies how great civilizations forge relationships rooted in dialogue, not confrontation. As we witness growing global mutual understanding, respect, and collective responsibility in addressing shared challenges, the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity will gain new dimensions.”

He emphasized that culture’s enduring value lies not only in preserving a magnificent legacy, but also in offering civilizational wisdom for shaping modern international relations. “Great civilizations can engage in constructive dialogue while retaining their distinct characteristics. Culture’s greatest gift is its power to build bridges of understanding — a vital message Greece and China offer the world today.”

By He Yin, People’s Daily

On June 9, the second World Conference of Classics opened in Athens, Greece, convening top scholars from around 20 countries under the theme “Dialogue Between Ancient and Modern: Contemporary Inspiration from Classical Wisdom.” 

Participants are drawing upon the intellectual legacy of ancient civilizations to seek insights from the wisdom of classical sages and build consensus for addressing today’s global challenges. 

From Beijing to Athens, China and Greece have jointly hosted two editions of the conference, creating a bridge for exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and encouraging scholars from around the world to engage in dialogue at the very roots of human civilization. Its significance stretches far beyond academia.

In a congratulatory letter to the inaugural World Conference of Classics in 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping noted that ancient civilizations flourished, laying the foundation for the development of human civilization. Guided by this vision, the conference has continued to unlock the contemporary value of classical wisdom, building a platform that connects past and present, China and the wider world.

As two of the most important sources of Eastern and Western classical civilizations, China and Greece have both made remarkable contributions to human progress through extraordinary cultural achievements, leaving legacies that still resonate today. 

From the philosophical insights of Laozi, Confucius, and Mencius in the East to the intellectual inquiries of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in the West, ancient thinkers explored enduring questions of human nature, governance, and social relations — questions that remain deeply relevant in the 21st century. 

By drawing deeper on the shared values, worldviews, cosmologies, philosophies of life, scientific outlooks, and cultural traditions embedded in these two civilizations, humanity gains valuable intellectual resources to address shared challenges and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Preserving civilization and deepening people-to-people and cultural exchanges have long been priorities for China. The enduring wisdom of Chinese civilization, including harmony without uniformity, peaceful coexistence among nations, people-centered governance, reform and innovation, harmony with nature — continue to offer inspiration for answering the questions of the times and the challenges facing the world.

An increasing number of Chinese and international scholars have called for integrating Chinese classical studies more fully into the global academic landscape and jointly building a broader framework of “greater classics” studies. 

China has proposed and actively implemented the Global Civilization Initiative, advocating dialogue over division, exchange over estrangement, and cooperation over confrontation, while working to advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity through stronger civilizational exchanges.

The world today is undergoing profound transformation. Geopolitical conflicts, climate change, the digital divide, and questions surrounding technology ethics are intersecting and intensifying. 

Against this backdrop, the conference has organized four parallel forums addressing topics such as modern interpretations of classical education, ethical communities in the transition from ancient to modern times, civilizational solutions to the shifting global landscape, and humanism in the age of digital intelligence. These discussions directly engage some of the most pressing issues of our time.

The conference makes clear that classical studies, while rooted in antiquity, are firmly focused on humanity’s present and future. In the view of many participants, the conference not only advances scholarship in classical studies but, more importantly, highlights the possibility of equal dialogue and the shared foundations of mutual understanding. 

As Roger T. Ames, vice president of the International Confucian Association, observed, zero-sum thinking continues to permeate international relations today. What is needed instead is deeper civilizational dialogue that explores shared values, uncovers common historical memories, and respects the unique contributions of diverse civilizations.

Mutual learning among civilizations has long defined China-Greece relations, with remarkable progress in cultural cooperation. 

The two nations have set up the Center of Chinese and Greek Ancient Civilizations and launched the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens. Scholars from both nations have delved into the shared values between Confucian ethics and ancient Greek philosophy. 

The Angelokastro archaeological project, their maiden joint archaeological program, has officially kicked off. Wonderful productions combining Chinese and Greek arts took the stage at the Sino-Hellenic International Theater Festival. 

Ancient Greek cultural relics have also been showcased in special exhibitions at the Palace Museum and the Sanxingdui Museum in China. All these efforts have enabled China and Greece to steadily broaden and deepen civilizational interactions.

Through interaction and mutual enrichment, these two ancient civilizations have found renewed vitality while setting an example for civilizations around the world to engage with one another as equals and advance together. 

As Nikiforos Diamandouros, president of the Academy of Athens, noted: “China-Greece cooperation reminds us that great civilizations do not compete with one another; rather, they shape the future together through dialogue, the exchange of knowledge, and mutual respect.”

To understand the past is to illuminate the present and chart a course for the future. The history of human civilization has repeatedly demonstrated that only through inclusiveness, openness, and mutual respect can civilizations thrive and endure.

China stands ready to work with all countries to draw wisdom and strength from the world’s diverse ancient civilizations, letting the light of classical wisdom guide humanity forward. Together, countries can address global challenges and sustain the progress of human civilization.

By Du Yifei, People’s Daily

The second World Conference of Classics convened on June 9 and 10 in Athens, Greece. The conference brought together renowned scholars and experts from China, Greece, and other nations, providing a platform for participants to discuss how classical wisdom can address contemporary needs and how different civilizations can learn from each other through dialogue based on equality and mutual respect.

Recently, Dr. Rodanthi Hatzopoulou, a Greek lecturer at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law and an international law scholar, published an article in People’s Daily. She emphasized the contemporary value of the dialogue between the two great ancient civilizations of Greece and China. Dr. Rodanthi noted that classical wisdom can offer insights into modern challenges such as rapid technological change and geopolitical uncertainty, highlighting that cultural exchange and mutual learning are important forces in the development of human civilization.

Dr. Rodanthi stated that China and Greece are two of the most representative ancient civilizations in the world, both have continuously contributed to world civilization. The conference in Athens therefore represents more than a celebration of the past. It is a discussion about the present and the future.

The conference centered on discussions around several key topics, including virtue and education, moral communities in changing societies, culture-based approaches to global order, and the role of humanistic values in the digital age. Dr. Rodanthi believes these themes show that classical studies are not far from reality. On the contrary, they speak directly to some of the most pressing issues of our time.

Take the issue of “The role of humanistic values in the digital age”, for example, new technologies, including artificial intelligence, big data, and digital platforms, are transforming every aspect of life. They offer great convenience and opportunity, but they also raise difficult questions about ethics, privacy, human dignity, and social responsibility. Technology can process information, but it cannot by itself define wisdom. It can connect people directly, but it cannot guarantee mutual understanding. Classical traditions remind us that human beings must remain at the center of progress.

That is why the China-Greece dialogue on classics is not nostalgic. It is future-oriented. It asks how ancient wisdom can help modern societies think more carefully about development, justice, responsibility, and human dignity. It also encourages people to see culture not as an obstacle, but as a bridge.

In recent years, cultural exchanges between China and Greece have continued to deepen. Collaboration has broadened to encompass fields such as archaeology, education, museums, cultural heritage protection, academic research, translation, tourism, and youth exchanges. These activities contribute to the rapprochement of cultures on many levels.

Looking ahead, Dr. Rodanthi expressed optimism about the prospects for further enhancing cultural exchanges and mutual learning between Greece and China. In a world facing uncertainty and division, the cultural exchange between China and Greece offers confidence and inspiration. It tells us that ancient civilizations still have contemporary value, that different cultures can meet through respect rather than suspicion, and that the common future of humanity depends not only on technological progress or economic development, but also on wisdom, understanding and moral vision.