Harmonious Society
Harmonious Society | |
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Hanyu Pinyin | héxié shèhuì |
IPA | [xɤ̌.ɕjě ʂɤ̂.xwêɪ] |
The Harmonious Society (also known as Socialist Harmonious Society) is a socioeconomic concept in China that is recognized as a response to the increasing alleged social injustice and inequality emerging in mainland Chinese society as a result of unchecked economic growth, which has led to social conflict. The governing philosophy has therefore shifted around economic growth to overall societal balance and harmony.[1] Along with a moderately prosperous society, it was set to be one of the national goals for the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The concept of social harmony dates back to
The promotion of the "Harmonious Society" demonstrated that Hu Jintao's ruling philosophy had departed from that of his predecessors. The concept of
Qin music illustrates the concept of harmony through its techniques such as the level of pressure and the speed of When the early rulers formed the li [rituals] and yue [music] their purpose was not to satisfy the mouth, stomach, ear and eye, but rather to teach the people to moderate their likes and hates, and bring them back to the correct direction in life. Music, under Confucian concepts, has the power to transform people to become more civilized and the goal of music is to create balance within individuals, nature and society. Leading people "back to the correct direction in life" not only signifies the guiding role of music, but also emphasizes on the power of the rulers, "The correct 'mood' was set by the chief of state, the emperor, the son of Heaven."[7]: 12 The power of the rulers reflects a fundamental theme in Chinese civilization. The State, or the ruling government, has the special role of taking care of the people; however, what distinguishes the Chinese ruling government from other ruling governments is the respectful attitude of the citizens, who regard the government as part of their family. In fact, the ruling government is "the head of the family, the patriarch."[8] Therefore, the Chinese look to the government for guidance as if they are listening to their father who, according to Chinese tradition, enjoys high reverence from the rest of the family. Furthermore, "still another tradition that supports state control of music is the Chinese expectation of a verbal 'message.'"[7]: 14 A "verbal message" is the underlying meaning behind people's words. In order to get to the "verbal message," one needs to read into words and ask oneself what the desired or expected response would be. The Chinese tradition of reading into words makes it easier for the government, or "the father," who possesses more attention and respect, to pass down its wishes through songs.[citation needed] The "Socialist Harmonious Society" concept represents a new direction of In addition, the Socialist Harmonious Society concept was a response to the problem of social inequality and Since the Hu Jintao visited the US in early 2011, two years before he stepped down as the CCP general secretary. One of the key messages of his visit was the idea of peace and cooperation: "China and the United States have major influence in international affairs and shoulder important responsibilities in upholding world peace and promoting common development." With few agendas at hand before his retirement, Hu Jintao brought to America a concept of harmony that is based on peace, cooperation and "soft power" exchanges.[citation needed]
In addition to the utilization of soft power, the Chinese leader used the concept of "Shadow of the Future": At the high school, Hu Jintao told the students, "The young are the future of a nation and the hopes of the world. The prospects of China-US relations are in the hands of the young people of the two countries."[11]
The United States has a tough stance on the rise of China.[12] The appropriateness of such a tough stance is debated given the political environment at the time of American elections. During Hu's visit, President Barack Obama assured China that the US is reasserting its influence in East Asia and in the Pacific Ocean.[13] Indeed, the US has increased its military and political presence in the Pacific through its military deployment in Australia and its diplomatic/military pressure on the territorial disputes in the South China Sea in early 2012.[citation needed]
Hu's successor, Xi Jinping, has used the phrase "harmonious society" less frequently. It was mentioned only once in the resolutions passed by the 3rd Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.[citation needed]
While initially the public's reaction to the idea was positive, over the years "Harmonious Society" has emerged as a euphemism for "stability at all costs," and has garnered its share of critics[who?]. The government often uses "Harmonious Society" to justify the suppression of dissent and the tight control on information in China[citation needed]. Some social commentators have pointed out the irony that in building a "harmonious society" the country has become less just, less equal, and less fair.[14] Meanwhile, some of Hu's critics say that application of the "Socialist Harmonious Society" concept has resulted in anything but itself.[15] China scholar Cheng Li said that Hu's failure in implementing the Socialist Harmonious Society program has been his "gravest pitfall" during his tenure.[15] Critics cite the increased wealth gap, higher internal security budgets, and unprecedented corruption in state-owned industries as evidence that Socialist Harmonious Society has failed in practice.[15]
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