‘Confucius’ on the South China Sea dispute

If you walk around the Chinese garden section of the Luneta Park, you would find a statue of China’s most important teacher, Kong Zi, or more popularly known under his Latinized name, Confucius.

From the moment the Han dynasty officially made his thoughts the ideological cement of society, Confucius has served as the symbol of Chinese civilization and culture. His works were studied and interpreted by countless aspiring bureaucrats and restless philosophers. His words were memorized by pitiful children forced by their parents to parrot the Analects. Thus, for the next 2,000 years, Confucius’ position in Chinese culture would be pre-eminent. 

But the May 4th Movement of 1919 exploded. The “new youth” repudiated the teacher and blamed his antiquated thoughts to be the root cause of China’s backwardness, thus leading her to a century of humiliation under Western and Japanese imperialism. Lu Xun, China’s most important modern writer, would denounce the Confucian classics as books that teach nothing but cannibalism. This rejection of the Confucian tradition would continue under the People’s Republic where Mao Zedong Thought was established as official ideology.

More recently, however, the Chinese Communist Party has allowed a revival of Confucianism. It has named after the philosopher the Confucius Institute, China’s version of the Instituto Cervantes, Goethe Institute, and the British Council. The Foreign Languages Press has published a new translation of the Analects by Lin Wusun and a movie based on the life of the sage of Lu was also produced with Chow Yun Fat playing the lead role.

Ask Confucius

Due to this Confucian resurgence, the squabbling Foreign Secretaries of the Philippines and China recently sought the opinion of Confucius.

The Chinese Secretary was the first to ask, “Master Kung, this guy has sued us. What can you say about the Philippine arbitration case under the UNCLOS?”

The Master said, “In hearing litigation, I am no different from any other man. But if you insist on a difference, it is, perhaps, that I try to get the parties not to resort to litigation in the first place (Lau 12.13).”

“Exactly!” the Chinese Secretary exclaimed. “This guy comes from a culture that loves lawsuits. Look at their courts. They are all filled with rotting pleadings and documents. They hear each case once a month and so the verdict will not come out in 5 years. Now, this guy goes to an international tribunal, bringing with him voluminous documents, too. And not only that, he has been trying to bring other parties without interest into the dispute. He particularly loves that white man across the Pacific Ocean, allowing the latter to stay indefinitely in the Islands, hoping that such tactic would deter me from grabbing more shoals. But this guy might end up ‘barring the tiger at the front only to admit the wolf at the rear.’”  

The Philippine Secretary had wanted to butt in earlier, but controlled himself. Then, he spoke slowly: “Master Kung, this guy has been nibbling at our territory ‘silkworm fashion’. He mischievously occupied and fortified Mischief Reef two decades ago. Now, he is secretly doing reclamation work in the Spratlys, constructing runways there and destroying the environment in the process. But what is worse, Master Kung, is that this guy has duped me. In 2012, we agreed to leave the Scarborough Shoal to de-escalate the naval stand-off. As a concession, I opted to leave the area first. I had to swindle people by making them believe my withdrawal from the shoal was merely due to a typhoon. As it turned out, I played the fool. This guy neither left nor relinquished his position there in violation of a mutual agreement.”                

 “Huh, do not blame me. Blame your naivete and amateurish decision-making,” the Chinese Secretary countered.

Before the two could exchange undiplomatic language, the Master intervened and said, “As you both know, along with miracles, disorders, and spirits, I never discuss the use of force (7.21).”

Turning now to the Chinese Secretary, Confucius said, “I see that your neighbors are all up in arms against you. Your ‘peaceful rise’ is not so peaceful after all. Although you have discarded the economics of your founder, you still follow his dictum that ‘political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.’ I see also that your stratagem is not based on my writings, but on chapters of the Three Kingdoms.”

“If only you’d studiously read my book,” Confucius continued, “you would have realized that I emphasize the virtue of xin or, approximately in English, ‘trustworthiness’.  If your word can be relied upon, no one would oppose you. Indeed, how can a person get on if he is not trustworthy? It is just like a cart without a collar-bar or a carriage without a yoke-bar. How can he make it move? (2.22). Thus, the man of honor (jun zi) considers it a disgrace to let his words outstrip his deeds (14.27).”

“Trustworthiness (xin) is even more important,” the Master added, “to a state that aspires for global leadership. To govern (zheng) is to correct (zheng). If you set an example by being correct, who would dare to remain incorrect?(12.16) Therefore, I say that if you speak with sincerity (zhong) and trust (xin) and behave with honor and reverence, you will get things done even if you are living among backward tribes (barbarians). However, if you do the contrary, will you get anything done even if you are among your neighbors? Wherever you are, at home or abroad, you should always keep in mind these principles, and you will get things done (15.6).”              

During the course of the lecture, the Chinese Secretary took notes and the Philippine Secretary wondered whether he belonged to the barbarians or to the neighbors. Then, the Chinese told his counterpart, “I told you to drop the case so we could enter into a bilateral negotiation.” “Why don’t you submit your memorial to the arbitral tribunal instead?” the Philippine Secretary retorted.    

Before the two could speak another word, the Master suddenly butted in and said, “But alas, there is no point in people taking counsel together who follow different ways (Lau 15.40).” And he left. –Mao Zedong Thought  Rappler.com

Close-up of stone statue of Confucius image via Shutterstock.

Jose Duke S. Bagulaya studied Mandarin and Fujienese in Tacloban City. He is presently an Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman, where he teaches Chinese Literature (CL 144) and Law and Literature (CL 198). He also works as a lawyer in his spare time. 

The quotations from Confucius’ Analects come from the translation of D.C. Lau (Penguin, 1979) when indicated and the rest comes from Lin Wusun (FLP, 2010). The author has inserted the pinyin transliteration of the original Chinese characters, including chapter and verse numbers.