A glittering concept from China's rich past can brand its relationships with the world community with eclat. Ren-yi has layers of Confucian meaning. I would like to reduce them to "benevolent rectitude" - being both kind and correct. What finer advocacy can China espouse in its relationships with the international community?

When I made these remarks at a conference in Nanjing in August, a Chinese scholar said foreigners were dazzled by China's classical civilization but had less interest in contemporary Chinese culture. But a culture that has been weathered by time speaks to the new, just as the new reinterprets the old. Kindness and correctness are seen in the behavior of many ordinary individuals that visitors encounter in China.

Let me offer as an example the Beijing taxi driver who spoke no English but spent an extra hour with me at my destination until the person I intended to meet found me. He refused to accept payment for the extra time he spent waiting with me. This kind of kindly correctness is often met in China, though, like other societies, it has its mix of good and bad eggs.

In the past decade, China has had several opportunities to demonstrate benevolent rectitude to the world, which arose because of natural disasters, migrant workers problems, anti-corruption campaigns, cross-Straits relations and the ties with the developing world. A cursory examination of how China has dealt with some of these issues will show that the country's image has changed among its more informed observers.

Beijing has become increasingly more transparent about natural disasters and consequentially there has been wider community involvement and support in relief efforts. But there is always room for expanded transparency as deficits in this area lead to an erosion of soft power. There have been healthy discussions on the conditions of migrant workers - partners in building China's economy - and steps are being taken to improve their lives. Here again, more visibility for the world can help add to China's soft power.

Improved relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan have increased the flow of people and goods across the Straits. Benevolence has characterized China's relations within (as in the case of Hong Kong and Tibet) and without (as in the case of Africa).

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