Why We Need to Know All About China 

I'm Australian. I worked and lived in China for 5 years. When most people in the west talk about China they spend all their time telling me what they DON"T know! Martin is a breath of fresh air.

As a Chinese, Chinese media never said China will rule the world. China always just say we want same standard, want to be equally treated, mutual respect.

A distinguished western scholar and thinker really understands what China was in the past, what It is now and what it will be in the future!

Western Culture is "SELF centered"; Chinese Culture is "FAMILY centered" Having said that, West values "Human rights" centered on personal rights: "I dont care about you as long as I exercise my rights..." China values "Confucianism" centered on "Nation-Community-Family". "Chinese respect their parents, community, country. The government is responsible for the community; and parents are responsible for the family."

US must understands nations rise and fall and the US included.

A very frank straight forward talk about China. Thank you very much Martin.

I totally agree with you. China has come along way to be the most progressive country in the world but the west sees it differently. Ooh well the west’s lost is China’s mighty gain just admire and love it 🥰 go china 🇨🇳 👍🏽👍🏼🙏🏽🙏🏼

China takes very serious approach to tackle the people's issues, poverty, problems, climate , environment etc.... despite the daily dose of slander, accusations from the western media. The people see the efficiency and sincerity of the gov, also the twisted and negative ways of the west. Maybe that is why the approval rating of the populous 90% ++ .

Thank u papa Martin for promoting peace, everybody's love it?

It’s actually harder for me to understand the western aggression. It’s because of pride, religion, fear, anxiety? But I believe human has a bigger course than fighting with each other, and we will learn from each other and prosper together.

I’m Hong Kong Chinese. Well said by a western man. I’m impressed.

Excellent analysis. Unfortunately the majority western politicians don’t understand the five thousand years of civilization and history of China. I truly admire Dr. Martin Jacques hard work and dedication. Can’t wait to see read his book.

Jacques's comment in the 38th minute onwards hits the nail on the head. There is by and large little awareness in the West that the community is much more important than the individual.

Well said and thank you so much Professor Jacques for your excellent analysis on the Chinese culture. My personal view is that Confucianism plays a major part on Chinese ways of life and has infiltrated into every individual since early education, in that, a minor must respect and love their seniors that encompasses we must xiaoshun (filial piety) our parents/grandparents/ancestors; a student to their teachers, a worker to their bosses, a citizen to their leaders etc, and this hierarchical respect structure applies not only just families, also to the entire society. It is this very education can summon a massive collective force and act as a unity from the country when this is needed, such as fighting an pandemic. To fully understand Chinese culture, one can spend a lifetime on the subject.

Thank you Mr. Martin Jacques. As a fellow Brit and Economist living in Shanghai for the last 12 years, I fully concur as a first hand witness that China has exceptional governance. I would add that the government here serves the people, and as you said, especially in the wake of this pandemic, enjoys a peoples mandate unheard of in the West. I will forever be grateful to the CPC and the brave front-liners for keeping me and my family safe from COVID19. China won the war on COVID19 against all odds only for the West to lose it despite the benefit of 2 months worth of hindsight. I wrote an article for some financial magazine back in 2010 entitled "China snapshot - All the right moves" where I wrote "The West needs to embrace China as a friend, and trust that as China takes its place as an economic powerhouse, it will also fulfill it's duties as a responsible global leader". This is true now more than ever before.

The one point that I would disagree with Mr Jacques is his statement that the west, by its colonial practises, is to "civilise" its colonies. That altruistic claim is just its propaganda to justify and glamourise its inhuman colonial policies and practises. Peel just below that supposed missionary objective and you will discover the wide ranging looting and raping of the human and material resources of the colonies that lasted for centuries; and arguably for some of the "former colonies" it is still on going to this very day; especially so of those that once France and Belgium colonised. And it is not wrong at all to say that all the previous coloniser countries build and developed their own states from the loots and riches they stole from their colonies. Just visit their museums to admire the loots and riches that were stolen and they are just a fraction of what were lost to the colonisers.

99％ western people don't really understand relationship 🇹🇼 and 🇨🇳

At last, someone who really knows what he is talking about! Everybody should watch this video!

With due respect to Jacques, a very very important point has been overlooked to understand China. That is ,after the Century of Humiliation, China actually woke up to the fact that for all their proud history and culture,they are no match to smaller western nations because of technology advancement and social development. Actually the dream of many many Chinese is to go west....for studies ,travel or even settling down. In short ,a large population including the government ,actually admired and look up to the west. But all this is now TOTALLY DESTROYED by the Trump Bull in the China shop. The way the USA conducted themselves in the Trade War is absolutely shocking to Chinese values,the utterly unprincipled shameless behavior of the USA has made the USA totally despicable in the eyes of the Chinese (except antiChina Chinese like many Taiwanese or Falun Gong or Uighur separatists). The huge section of this once “admirers of the West “ is so disillusioned that Chinese overseas students and professionals are returning to China in droves and given up on the West and have realized there’s no room in western mind for peaceful coexistence. So China is now desperately on the path of self defense and self sufficiency .

What’s you said is so......great! 👍thank you🙏 I hope all leaders and ordinary people of Western countries can see your speech! You are great. You did very good job for all humans in the world!

Prof Martin is Brilliant. He knows China so well. Thank you Prof for explaining China so well to the world.

Just brilliant, the Americans should listen, and perhaps save themselves from further destruction..

He is not only open minded but also very knowledgeable of his subject - China.

As a Chinese and a native Hong Kong person, I love to see how average western people underestimate us. The more they overlook, the more opportunities we have. In Chinese history, those tremendously powerful ancient empires like Han, Tang and Ming dynasty were all failed because of arrogance and corruption. Back in the time, the technology is not greatly developed yet. The pacing is slow, so it takes 50-100 years to tears down an well-established kingdom. Now look at the modern days, we can clearly see the U.S. rapidly declining in every aspect. There were many people thinking that the China will not success, and yet, many of them are still thinking in that way. In fact, the speed of China's development is like a miracle.

The success of the Chinese Government is putting the people first, not politics! This is the principle of good governmentship - to serve its people and country

As an Chinese, living in U.S., falling into deep thinking after watching the professor’s speech……

As Chinese which in reality is not a single ethnical group but an integration of people of the land; yes we are proud of the culture but we, at least the recent two generations I know have experienced the destructive effect of colonial aggressions and have empathy for all other countries that have suffered the European Imperialism and and by the education we receive have no desire to let ourselves become anything close to imperialists that we despise.

I love that Martin's study is an absolute mess. He's all about the message, no nonsense. This guy knows what he's talking about. Such a rarity in so-called 'China watchers'.

Fantastic! There are no words to describe this extraordinary insight into the world of the near future. It's already here for all intents and purposes.

Will the West be ever ready to show magnanimity and align with reality????

Nature is not optimizing for individual but rather the whole environment. The competition is not about capitalism versus socialism, is about individualism versus collectivism.

I hope Pompeo watch this..

A great scholar on China study giving a broad spectrum of topics in this talk. Martin really knows what he is talking about. This channel will be one of my goto resource on China. The narrative given is enlightening promotimg understanding and cooperation rather than destructive ignorance. Blessings.

Excellent chat about China! Listening to you, explains in details what I've seen and experienced since 2004. That was the year of fortune for me after marrying my wife in Guangxi. I appreciate your "Words of Wisdom", thank you.

Long live china.

The West needs to look East to learn the values of societal solidarity and virtue of collectiveness in crisis management. In Confucius societies, people are more mindful of their societal responsibilities and moral obligations to put community/national interests above self. This explains why in Asian countries, except India, people are more cooperative, organized and efficient in mobilising people and deploying resources to stamp out Covid-19 virus.

If truly interested in modern China, read Robert Lawrence Kuhn's 'How China's Leaders Think'. Martin Jacques 'When China Rules the World' is also a must-read.

The Chinese were already modern in the Tang. If u put down yr western tinted spectacles, u’ll agree with me. Peace

Should the West be led by the blind leading the blind

I wish BoJo would listen to Martin, what an intelligent man 👍👍👍

Very genuine thoughts

Thank you Jacques for explaning to the west about China. It is very true what you said about our chinese value (Confucius) Im half chinese living in Borneo and our chinese (Confucius) value has been pass to us and our children. It doesnt matter where or which coutry we live. It runs in our blood. Respect for eldest, care for eldest and relationship is one of the few Confucius value.

I am of Chinese origin, born in Singapore but now lives in Australia. Martin Jacques is amazingly insightful- he really understands Chinese culture n outlook- very rare for westerners. Great article. 👏👏

it is not the system but the actual governance that matters. a democracy with irresponsible governance is worse than an authoritarian with caring governance which benefits its citizens and the whole world.

This is very informative. I now understand China a lot better. A shame western leaders don’t listen to this presentation and learn.

Your in-depth knowledge of China is amazing. Better than any other Western scholars.

I never thought I could sit through 42 minutes of political lecture. I must be dead of bored. I were dead wrong. Excellent job, Jacques !

Sir I like your talk very much.

Taiwan is a province!

I have shared this educational video. I learned a lot from it! Thank you Martin Jacques! 👏🏻

Hi Martin! Greetings from Montreal. I apologize for not having checked you out until only recently. What an awesome, extraordinary work you seem to have been doing! For sure I will get your book this weekend (although Amazon 'Prime' won't ship it here....aaaargh...I still want the paper back rather than the Kindle). I will be in touch with you frequently. Godspeed

A lot to think about from that discussion. Difficult to run away from the facts.

Consider this: china is the (or one of the most peaceful) major civilization nation in the world throughout history. 1) invention of gunpowder don't go and conquer huge swaths of sovereign countries all over the world. But the europeans did. 2) they had the world's most advanced and largest warships in the world, and they distinctly did not sail halfway around the world to kill and colonise a territory there. But europeans did, wiping out millions of indigenous population in the americas. 3) china did not export political revolutions or social upheavals across the world. Periphery nations adopted aspects of chinese culture and language (korea, japan, vietnam), but it was unforced. But the europeans are the direct sole cause for the majority of the world's conflict when they venture out:- middle east conflict from the partition of the ottoman empire, the afican civil strives due to the partition of africa by european powers, the indian subcontinent conflicts due to colonial influences, the disintegration of south america due to european influence (again!). In conclusion: european (and westerm) actions causes almost all ot the world's current conflict and misunderstanding...and it is ironic that that selfsame nations is accusing china of doing to the world right now.

I hope more people could watch this!

Martin’s talks actually inspired me, who grew up in China and educated with Chinese view of history, the idea of differences between State, Country, and Nation. I tend to mess them up as one idea before I heard his talkings.

I’m a Chinese,i know China is not perfect, but I have to say professor Martin is deeply know Chinese people’s nature.

It is very refreshing to listen to an articulate speaker who does not litter his speech with loads of crutch words. They are still there but not so much as to affect his presentation.

A most easy to understand and enjoyable to listen to lecture by the schorler Martin, thanks!

even back in communist brothers days of USSR, Russians didn't bother to learn about China culturally... it's a blind spot of feeling self superiority perhaps.

Martin's points about China, even if not 100% correct, is a breath of fresh air compared to the mainstream western narratives circulating in the global media. It's important to get all sides of the story and develop critical thinking this day and age. Ray Dalio is also another great person that understands China really well.

Super commentary by Martin Being an overseas Chinese and remember them dark days of China. My parents never forget there roots and without fail every now and then will sent money back to China and sometimes food packages, surprisingly the canned food parcels are manufactured in China. Needless to say the contributions by well to do overseas Chinese private remission back to their homeland. Being overseas Chinese we have the privilege to have the use of full internet new of the world and to conclude what some of the world countries have victimized China. I rest my case and long live the PCP.

Thank you for speaking the truth 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼. I am from Macau and we here haven’t had any inside cases because we listen and we all were willing to give up a lot to control during the lockdown. Wish everyone well and hope the virus will be gone.

It's good to know more about another country, not just China. Knowing more will make you an informed person.

Dear Martin, which book of, or about, Confucius would you advice me to read? (In English) - Rob Smit (Holland)

In Chinese culture, 家 means home/family, 大家，literally means big/many homes/families. We are all connected. That is collectivism in the West name, which is not very accurate in fact. It is more than than.

Don’t pull a GRR Martin on us! Eagerly awaiting for your new book!

Thank you for this Summit, and for Martin’s explanation. It’s human nature to see other people through your own bias, perspectives, mindsets etc. But, we won’t get anywhere if we all persist in this way. There will be no innovation, no new discoveries, no advancement if we all stubbornly refuse to have an open mind, let alone peace as we will always have conflicts.

As a Chinese grew up in the Chinese culture but getting Western education, I am impressed that Mr Jacques can know so much and so deeply about Modern and ancient Chinese culture. I am going to search for more videos from him, just to learn more.

Dear Sir, 台湾 also called "The Republic of China", so it is also a part of China, not another nation. BTW, I respect your mind. Bravo!

The future of the West will be very bright with more people like Martin Jacques...People who don't just see the glass as half full but half empty as well....

As a Chinese, I have heard the same opinion in history books about 19th century ,which says we must open our minds to understand westerns. so I guess it is "天道轮回"

Let go of prejudice. Respect and understand each other. The Chinese believe that only in this way, everyone will benefit. Instead of taking a person as a unit. This is the teaching of our elders.

You have a good point, when talking about China, the west only thinks about Mao, CCP and Communism. The west never thinks about the Chinese race, culture, value and origin. That’s what the west is losing and definitely will lose. You don’t know your enemy, don’t ever think you can beat them... Sun Zi’s art of war

Thanks doc... every time I listen to you, I learn new things.

To you sir thanks for a sacrificial job and my hope is not only to see China as the greatest nation but seeing humanity coming as one and enjoy our short life in this world

I love this talk. Thank you so much for your words. I am an enthusiast of China myself. Have lived there for various years, studied the language and their philosophy (including confucianism). I have to say that I also love China, I have fallen in love with the people and their culture, totally in love. I also do believe that China is a "treassure grove" from which humanity can learn SO MUCH. The only negative aspect that I find important to point out is one related to why so many people are loosing trust in China. Just as Mr. Jacques said, "20 years back people were curious about China, saw it as a place of opportunities, but now they are growing distrustful." Regarding this I have o say that I have met too many people who have got robbed by Chinese. And this has a cultural and political explenation. On the cultural side, the general environment in China is very focused on making money. Money is nearly the most important objective in people´s mind at the moment. Even more so than morality (to a certain extent). And this makes it more viable for people to rob, in order to make money. And even more so if the person who they rob is a foreign businessman who will find it hard to sue them in a new business/legal environment. And this brings me to the other point, the political side. I´m sorry to say but the previous president of China Hu Jintao was too loose in the policive and discipline side of government. People say the government encouraged people to copy foreign products in order to learn how to manufacture, and the policy of forced technology transfers is not too far from this kind of mindset. In legal terms foreigners are said to always loose in the courts (but I cannot go as far as to afirm this with as much certainty as I do affirm the afore mentioned statements). If we unite these two past things, a culture in which money is king, and a government which is very leanient to admit development over morality, then we have the recipe for a problem. And I dare say that many of the people who I know who feel distrustful about China, are people who have been robbed by Chinese. In my country we have a saying: "That sounds like a Chinese story", it means: it´s a lie. As a conclusion I have to say that I agree with how fascinating China is. How beautiful a country, people and history lies there. I also totally agree that there is too much lack of information that harms humanity. But I also have to talk about the down-side, like the fact that I feel afraid of saying this over the internet where I am supposed to have free speech, and the fact that I myself have got robbed by a Chinese "friend". Best to all,

The way I see it is that to the Americans' benefits, years back when they moved manufacturing to China they called it globalization. To take up this responsibilities, Chinese worked very hard to meet all requirements and sacrificed some parts of the country with pollution. The Chinese have no complains, many young people moved out from their villages to cities for these opportunities, they left behind their children with their parents. Over 30+ years of hard work, Chinese succeeded and started to have their own advancement but the USA simply won't allow it and started smearing at China about stealing jobs from their country. There is no point of attacking China, the only way is to compete fairly for mutual benefits.

I Enjoying listening to your talk on the topic of China and your personal views. You have given insight into those who hate China. Hope some will help themselves to know China more and make the whole world a better place for all. Thank you, Sir.

Thank you Professor Jacques. I am an Australian who has lived in China for six years. The government and the people of China have managed the Covid19 epidemic extremely efficiently. We are grateful to the front line workers who risked their lives to look after the folk in Hubei and protect the people of China. The Chinese system of government is imbued with the Confuscian ethics and cares for its people. The Australian system of government is not bad but far weaker . The US system of government is absolutely appalling - a disgraceful example of a democracy dominated for the most part by super wealthy self serving capitalists with no interest in the well being of its people.

Very well said with a lot of passion and humility. China and the world needs more voices like yours

Can I just add one more thing to what Martin said? Communism is from the west not Chinese!

There is one other country that has that kind of recurring superpower history, and that's Iran. It's not quite as old as China, but it has a similar civilizational state identity that goes back two and a half millennia. Honorable mention should also go to Egypt which is older than China and Persia and had a longer run, but hasn't seen relative superpower status since the Fatimid Dynasty. Western civilization has regularly produced superpower status, but it hasn't been locked geographically.

I would like to buy the book where can I buy it

Mr Jacques, it is an impartial analysis of China, you are the few western intellectuals that really have a deep understanding of China and her civilization. I look forward to reading some of your new books on China. Thank you for sharing your views on China - very fruitful talk.

State and families, Chinese always think state first

As a football fan myself and live in the UK for over 20 years from China now. I have always told my western friends. A football game or any other team sports is played in a socialism way and a good team is usually the most disciplined team with talent of course. And China is in fact exactly running this way. No wonder China is doing well in the last 30-40 years despite the 1.4B huge population and the future is still looks bright.

Thanks so very much Dr. Martin Jacques for uploading "Why We Need to Know All About China". This is an extraordinary talk and I have learned so much about China. Your amazing knowledge and in-depth analysis are greatly appreciated and admired.

To be honest, it is not that China's culture is super unique so that the West needs to understand it more. Every culture is unique, it is just that China has grown to a stage where the West must takes it seriously. There are countless cultures out there that are unique but the West doesn't care to learn it. This is what we call ignorance.

Hi Martin, many thanks for the great work you have been doing, much appreciated.

heaven put martin jacques in this time of histority because we need a man like him :)

i love how the world is fascinated by and interested so much in China!

The West: What's Christian versus what's not; what's democracy versus what's not. Chinese: What works versus what doesn't.

Well said Prof. Chinese place relationship as something very important in life. That is why it is foolish for some countries to taint their relationship with China when China play a more and more important role globally.

The West has to be realistic and accept what Martin Jacques says.

You don’t need to love China but you have to understand China

I fully agree with Mr Jacques. This man is honorable and fair. At the end of the day, you (countries) should do what works for you in order to achieve a form of modernity that is truly good for your own people but not the expense of weaker nations. Every people not just the top 10 percent. I look forward to that day when East and West (or West and East) can truly treat each other with mutual respect and honor, working together for the betterment of mankind. There are so many challenges ahead (climate change, future pandemics, poverty, extremism etc) that could best approached by all. There is not a moment to lose!

Very interesting speech by Matin Jacque.

社会道德最小公约数：五倫、五常、四維、八德。是中国一萬多年前世世代代相傳。五倫只有二十個字，「父子有親，君臣有義，夫婦有別，長幼有序，朋友有信」；五常就更簡單，就五個字，「仁、義、禮、智、信」，四維四個字，「禮義廉恥」。八德，「孝悌忠信，仁愛和平」，世界每一个人都能接受的中华文化。这样的文化统治地球，地球永无战争，和平相处。

Very analytical and historical reference using facts and neutral angles to evaluate the Chinese civilisation and culture! 👍👍👏

His description towards the end about the mentality of Chinese and Confucius influenced Asian is so true.