A New Dimension to China’s Interactions with the World

By ALEXANDER V. LOMANOV

The Chinese Dream is as important to the whole world as it is to China’s material and spiritual prosperity.

The idea of the Chinese Dream brings a new dimension to China’s interactions with the world. As China becomes more and more integrated into the global community, the Chinese Dream becomes closely intertwined with the dreams of other nations. Differentiation of the levels and directions of their parallels could help clarify the Chinese Dream’s meaning in a cross-cultural perspective.

The Chinese Dream is related to the “World Dream,” the common aspirations of the whole of mankind – peace, prosperity, happiness and so on. China’s recent efforts to formulate and systematize basic views of values helped establish a basis for dialogue between the Chinese Dream and the “World Dream.”

Many Chinese experts and academics are comparing the Chinese Dream with the American Dream. During his visit to the U.S. in June 2013 Chinese President Xi Jinping said the Chinese Dream “communicates with beautiful dreams of each nation of the world, including the American Dream.” The Chinese Dream will not attempt to snub the dreams of others. On the contrary, it will flourish due to China’s ability to embrace the achievements of foreign cultures.

When we look into the future of the Chinese Dream, we are tempted to look beyond the timeline of “two centenary goals” that extend into the middle of this century. The Chinese Dream goes back far into the history and cultural tradition of China. China’s development mode is a valuable resource for the Chinese Dream and could also provide a reference for other nations. Communication between the Chinese Dream and dreams of other nations requires significant efforts in promoting cross-cultural contact.

ALEXANDER V. LOMANOV is a research fellow with the Institute of Far Eastern Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences.