Tianjin’s “Why China: Harmony and Co‑existence” Festival Links Ancient Philosophy to Modern Policy Vision.

The phrase itself is a mouthful, but its components are refreshingly simple. “何以中国” asks the fundamental question – why, or how, does China embody a particular path or set of values? “和合共生” (hé hé gòng shēng) evokes the ancient Chinese ideal of harmonious co‑existence, a principle that threads through Confucian calls for societal order, Daoist visions of balance between humanity and nature, and the Buddhist emphasis on interdependence. In modern parlance, it has become a shorthand for a policy vision that seeks unity, mutual benefit, and symbiotic development across the domestic sphere, the natural environment, and the international community.

At the heart of this vision is the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), whose leaders have repeatedly framed “和合共生” as a contemporary expression of Marxist thought Sinicized to fit Chinese realities. From Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping to Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao and, most recently, Xi Jinping, the party’s senior echelon has cultivated an ideological lineage that marries the materialist analysis of Marxism with the “deep gene” of Chinese civilization – the age‑old belief that societies flourish when they move in concert rather than in conflict. Xi’s 2018 speech at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Qingdao is a case in point: he introduced the notion of a “community of common destiny” for the SCO, explicitly linking multilateralism with the concept of “和合共生.” That language now reverberates from diplomatic corridors to art galleries, and the Tianjin event is its most vivid public manifestation yet.

The Tianjin programme has been designed as a cultural feast, but its itinerary is anything but frivolous. On the first day, visitors were guided through the winding lanes of Ancient Culture Street, where displays highlighted the city’s “river and sea charm” and its transformation from a historic port to a modern hub of commerce and culture. Exhibits of Yangliuqing New Year pictures – bright woodblock prints produced in a tradition dating back to the Ming dynasty – were paired with stories about the Grand Canal, underscoring how northern and southern artistic currents have long blended in a fluid, “flowing harmony” rather than a static balance. One of the featured artisans, Huo Qingshun, the sixth‑generation inheritor of the famed “Yucheng Hao Huazhuang” studio, spoke of his family’s duty to keep the centuries‑old craft alive while adapting its motifs to contemporary themes of environmental stewardship and social cohesion.

The second stop, Ji Hongchang’s former residence, offered a more solemn reminder of China’s turbulent twentieth‑century history. Ji, a celebrated guerrilla commander who resisted Japanese occupation in the 1930s, embodied the kind of self‑sacrifice and collective spirit that the party’s narrative often elevates as the human face of “和合共生.” Curators drew connections between Ji’s fight for a free China and today’s push for a “community with a shared future for mankind,” another phrase championed by Xi that echoes the SCO’s vision of a global order built on cooperation rather than confrontation.

The final venue, Tianmei Art District, which officially opened its exhibition spaces in December 2023, presented a series of installations and digital artworks that tackled the theme of “harmonious market economy.” While Western observers might expect a celebration of unrestrained capitalism, the pieces on display argued for a different model – one the Chinese press has called a “harmonious market type” (和合市场型). In this view, market forces are tempered by state guidance, social responsibility, and long‑term ecological considerations, creating a balanced growth path that aligns with the broader goals of “sustainable development” and “ecological civilization.” The artists invoked the slogan “人与自然和谐共生” (humanity and nature living in harmony), a reminder that the same principle of co‑existence that guided ancient poetry is now being applied to climate policy, urban planning, and even the Belt and Road Initiative’s infrastructure projects.

All of these cultural tableaux point to a larger strategic narrative. Domestically, the emphasis on harmony serves to reinforce social stability, a cornerstone of the party’s legitimacy. By invoking a shared cultural heritage that prizes collective well‑being over individual excess, the leadership hopes to smooth internal contradictions and rally citizens around the goal of “Chinese‑style modernization,” a phrase that signals a development path distinct from Western liberal democracy or pure market‑driven growth. Internationally, the same language is being exported through diplomatic channels. The SCO, now gearing up for its “China Year” in 2025, uses the concept of a “community of common destiny” to frame security, trade, and cultural exchange as mutually reinforcing endeavors. The Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs, through its “Foreign Affairs Journal,” routinely publishes essays that argue for a “humanity’s community of common destiny” built on respect for civilizational diversity (文明多样性) and peaceful co‑existence (和平共处).

Critics abroad note that the rhetoric of harmony can mask a more assertive foreign policy, especially as Beijing expands its economic footprint and military presence in Central Asia, the Indian Ocean, and beyond. Yet for many observers in Tianjin, the manifestation of “和合共生” on the city’s streets, in its museums, and on its modern art walls feels genuine – a symbolic attempt to translate lofty doctrine into everyday experience. As the final day of the event drew to a close, visitors were invited to write their own reflections on a wall titled “Echoes of Chinese Culture.” One participant, a university student from Shanghai, wrote, “Harmony is not the absence of differences; it is the art of letting those differences enrich each other.” That sentiment, simple as it is, captures the core of the “Why China” question: the nation seeks to demonstrate that its ancient ethos of balance can be the foundation for a future in which its own development, the wellbeing of its people, and the stability of the wider world are seen as inseparable.

Whether the principle of “和合共生” will prove resilient enough to steer China through the geopolitical and environmental challenges of the coming decades remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that the concept has moved from abstract policy papers into the streets of Tianjin, the brushstrokes of a New Year picture, and the digital canvases of a new generation of artists. In doing so, it offers the world a living illustration of how a civilization that has long prized “harmony without uniformity” is re‑imagining its role on the global stage – not as a hegemon demanding conformity, but as a partner proposing a symbiotic path forward.