Oxford University historian: China to remake the world in the West end of era
United Kingdom famous historian Dr bide·fulankepan as senior fellow at Worcester College, University of Oxford, Director of the Center for Byzantine studies, University of Oxford, often writing in the mainstream Western media. Pictured here: the new Silk Road: a history of the new world."Global times, stationed in United Kingdom freelance journalist Sun Wei" Editor's Note: "silk road rehabilitation. "United Kingdom Bloo ' Bloomsbury Publishing Director of the Oxford Centre for Byzantine studies, University of bide·fulankepan book Silk Road: a history of the new world, have recently raised great concern in the West, including translations also reported will be published officially. In the view of the Western historians, in the history of the Silk Road, you can look for changes in China's shadow, we can see that countries along the rise and fall of powers law. By the ancient and the modern, fulankepan in the book talked about China's "along the way" program, recently at the University of Oxford, told the global Times newspaper said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua, from setting up when there are structural problems in the West, the "along the way" are trying to predict and define the future of the world, the proactive approach is "the best response, smart politics."
Not only from the perspective of Western history
GT: you wrote in the Silk Road: tracking the silk road of civilization: strong long before in the West, Asia access to connect peoples and places together. When did you begin to study the "Silk Road"? Fulankepan: I am from childhood is curious about the world and learn about the Silk Road for the first time when I was only seven or eight years old. I wrote in the book Alexander the great's links with China, and China and Central Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean regional trade, the history, I am interested for years. I don't suddenly want to begin to study the Silk Road at a particular time, only because it was part of my life. I enjoy learning about different cultures, speak different languages, how to understand each other, how to trade, borrow, competition and learn from each other. English titles in the "Silk Road" is plural, because more than one of the Silk Road, cities along the Silk Road and many. My visit to China, China is changing, and it's not just things of the past 30 years. Throughout its history, China has been experiencing a rebirth and growth. GT: when you tell the history and current situation of countries along the Silk Road, you mentioned the "roads of faith" and "road to change" and "road to peace", also talked about here are "the golden path" and "Imperial road", "the road to war," "road to hegemony" and so on. Why you stressed that the West can no longer ignore the "Silk Road" historical status, stress can no longer ignore the non-western areas of the world and mankind's contribution? Fulankepan: why do we study history? Mark Twain once said: "history does not repeat itself, but there is a striking resemblance". You can learn from the history, understanding transitions of power, knows how to deal with the crises and challenges, why success or failure. Understand the history of Asian countries, I must mention another saying: "history is written by the victors. "While China, India, and Iran and Russia had a great history, but we can say that we have been in the last three hundred or four hundred years" European era. " More than 100 years ago, from which the country has more than 80% of goods loaded on United Kingdom ships. Part of my book is to explain why the past three hundred or four hundred years in Europe became important, and before that at the edge of Europe and Eurasia in an important position. 1000 years ago, not to study in Oxford and Cambridge, since almost all the Learning Center in Asia. Even 500 years ago, China, India, Central Asia, and Egypt has a more powerful learning center. But the world is changing, and because of this, clear political and economic power to Asia is not new or revolutionary, but a return to the past is necessary. Borrow this book and I would like to say that the rise of Asia is not the awakening to sleep for more than 2000 years later, but history has shaped all of Asia, including the initial rise in Europe and Asia about. In my opinion, we need a more comprehensive understanding of world history. Asia's rich history, they have a fundamental place in the history, but in the "European era" was ignored. To cite an example, in the Oxford University Museum of natural history's greatest statues of 27 scientists, but none of them come from non-European countries. This also reflects our view of history from the perspective of the West.
"Along the way" in shaping the future of the world GT: you have Western readers about China today "along the way" of great significance. "Along the way" involved countries in cultural, religious, ethnic, political systems are different, why the advocates can play a unique role in China? Fulankepan: our relationship with neighbouring countries often have very complex. We spend a lot of time dealing with them, but they are probably the most trouble people, also has the potential to be the best way to help our people. Neighbours need to trust each other with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds in order to build good relations. This is not an easy thing. If you are confident enough, you won't mind them and you can't wear the same clothes, believe in different religions and eat different foods. In fact to learn from them, you will become stronger. It can be said that the worst thing people are fighting each other, and the best ability is cooperation and communication.
China for the 21st century, "along the way" the grand strategy highlights China's desire to understand the world, it is important for China to maintain its economic growth. I learned a lot in the past 6 months the rise of big cities in China, in order to maintain the development of big cities, China needs to secure access to energy, resources, food, maintenance of good relations and neighbours. "Along the way" emphasizes the "cooperation" and "collaboration", China not only on its own interests, but taking into account the interests of other countries. This is a very positive response to the world around and enlightened manner. It's like if you have a marble made of gold and a large House, but your neighbor is down and out, then this will cause problems. The best solution is to take out some money to ensure that the entire "community" is prosperous, this is in line with their long-term interests. For China, too.
XI Jinping proposed "along the way" is very helpful to China's long-term economic development, but also to maintain the stability of the entire region. If China becomes more and more powerful rich and around other countries have developed very well, so China is not necessarily a good thing. "Along the way" this search infrastructure, government-level cooperation, the granting of loans to help development of models of other countries, are very healthy and correct. For many years, "along the way" of countries involved in trying to find a way to share ideas related to security, intelligence and counterterrorism. And we have heard in recent months at the European tune is very different in Europe recently to discuss how more independent and separate discussion. "Along the way" are trying to predict and define the future of the world: what the world would be the next twenty or thirty years, proactive can help you do the best. This is smart politics. GT: you have in the United States the Huffington Post wrote, "along the way" in leading the trend first and plan for the future, and too little time in the West end. Why do you say that? Fulankepan: GDP, Asia is on the rise, many people out of poverty in the past 10 years. As I mentioned, "along the way" in an attempt to shape the world. When talking about the Western world is almost at the end, I am from the historians point to talk about all the cultural and political center ultimately cannot avoid death. I think we have seen--religious fundamentalism header, the frequent problems in the Middle East, and Iran are increasingly active, the development of South Asia and Southeast Asia, as well as China's growing ambitions – these are the shift brought about by the changes in the world. Russia and Turkey the two key state between East and West, devoting more attention to the East, this is not a coincidence.
Asia's future looks more promising than in the West, there is a structural problem in Europe. About United Kingdom from the European Union, the European Union disintegration, more attention to self and other contemporary European phenomenon in a way somewhat similar to a period and the Roman Empire. When the 34th century AD, had a similar description: once upon a time, the Roman Empire is so powerful, the Romans scattered around the world, guarding their borders (the United Kingdom had done so), but now, people put the time at Bath Spa, people are talking about the most popular celebrity, no one talked about which General people working or those running the Empire. Collapse of the Roman Empire is a slow and gradual process. It can be said that Rome 2000 years ago has its own "along the way", when all the nodes are interconnected--"can get the resources you need, promoting economic growth and got along well with his neighbors"--what I call the "three principles", which are required for any country in history.
Now is the scale of the changes. More than 100 years ago, 1/4 of the world from the United Kingdom control. After World War two, United Kingdom began to decline. United Kingdom like the Roman Empire, from the 18th century onwards the territory a little bit all over the world join together to form the Empire, can be said that this is the United Kingdom version of "along the way". Thirty or forty years ago, you set sail from London to China without even leaving United Kingdom territory, such as via West Africa, Cape Town, Kenya to Hong Kong, Mumbai, Sri Lanka. Even on land, United Kingdom in Russia, the Middle East includes trading posts. Now, however, such a network has gone. GT: "along the way" for countries and regions, China's significant investment in change is what? Fulankepan: if I was (China), Adviser to the Government, then I would suggest that the Government should be realistic, because not every investment to meet expected, and some may be much more than expected. We live in a changing world, the United Kingdom out of the results of the EU referendum will affect China in the United Kingdom overall investment, while the United States election is bound to affect global. As investors say, if you invest a lot of money, then you will not every three months to follow up with results, you need to have a long term view. But over the years, Western countries seem to have a big weakness is not good at long-term planning, follow a five-year cycle of Government. If you like China have more long-term planning, then success will be easier. China's "along the way" is of strategic importance to the correct,, followed in a period of growth seek to build future-oriented relations "power mode". Difficulties facing China is how to deal with potential problems, especially in the case of changes to speed up. When faced with powerful neighbouring countries, small countries find it hard to resist. China must be very careful not to ask for too much in the negotiations. GT: your conclusion in the book "the new Silk Road" also mentioned that China is building a new, worldwide network, it will make deep prejudices against China and the West. How to eliminate these biases? Fulankepan: this is the next 10 years, China will be faced with the most difficult issues, China every step for defensive reasons, it will be interpreted as aggression and aggression of other countries. It is very dangerous and very important to address that concern. In that case, communication is the only feasible way, explaining what you plan to do some of the things that are necessary. It can be said that with the rise of China, world China both in terms of military, geopolitical or economic, there are many situations that do not match. China can try to prepare and plan, in fact, can do a better job in this regard, China – China does not like criticism, particularly at Government level, but any successful politician, businessman or long-term planning is the first thing to learn is to listen. China is very active in trying to encourage, inspire and help economic growth in other areas, but how will these practices in other countries? China's policy makers need to hear their voices.
"Is not that China is strong, other countries would weaken" gt: you emphasized "the center of the world is the heartland of Asia"? Why special attention in the West China, India and other countries of the rapid development and social change? Fulankepan: development of these countries, full of energy, and the market is very large, there are many opportunities. Europe as a whole very liberal thinking is open, although they may not speak the language of those countries, but Westerners are very interested in those countries, they know enough before. Now the Europeans are interested in and contact with Asia. World like a jigsaw puzzle, an integral part of we are all connected, I wrote at the beginning of the book, globalization is not only in 21st century, humans 2000 years ago, began the process of globalization. Learn history so that we can have another view of our world, exposed to the world in the 21st century, China is not a zero-sum world, is not to say that China is strong, other countries will weaken, but China's strong, stronger in other countries, this is a viable option, because we are connected to each other depending on each other. GT: United Kingdom from the European Union, "the Islamic State" raging, waves of refugees, and United States general election "hot spots" behind global chaos, what do you think about this?
Fulankepan: these hot spots are different, but there are some revealed a problem: social inequality in developed countries are increasing. Inequality means that countries with serious structural problems of our economy. In many European countries, economic growth haven't in the past 10 years, we should consider how to get the economy back on track again, but the change will not happen immediately.
(Editors: Biao Guo UN832)
2016-08-17 07:43:42
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