Welcome to Saturday's Potluck - 4-30-2022
Submitted by studentofearth on Sat, 04/30/2022 - 5:00am“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Pablo Picasso
Reading biographies is one of my methods for getting a feel of a culture or time period. It helps create a deeper understanding of historical events and common cultural assumptions. In 2002 in the Beijing hotel gift shop bought The Life of Mencius by Qu Chunli written in a historical novel format. The book changed the way I perceived China. Followed up later by reading the author's book The Life of Confucius.
The American idea of China's need to "save face" to avoid conflict and maintain honor had always been presented as a weakness. The two books presented the idea, by treating an opponent with honor and respect future cooperation is possible and conflicts might be resolved peacefully. Saving face was a diplomatic tool to avoid hardening a position leading to a violent conflict. It appears China may no longer be concerning itself with the honor of United States elite.
Wang Wenbin - spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2:18 min)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1mFZc6zBsU]
Transcript