A state ruler seeks not wealth, but righteousness.

A state ruler seeks not wealth, but righteousness.

This line comes from The Book of Rites. Since ancient times, yi (righteousness) and li (gain) have been two basic concepts in the Chinese outlook on morality. One involves virtue and the greater good, the other involves profit and material gain. The Confucian school of thought believed that profit-seeking and moral pursuit are both instincts and natural desires. In terms of value judgement, people should favor the pursuit of yi over that of li, and use yi to restrain and guide li.

At Seoul National University in July 2014, Xi Jinping said: As the ancient Chinese saying goes, "A state ruler seeks not wealth, but righteousness." We value the greater good more than shared interests in international cooperation.

国不以利为利，以义为利也

“国不以利为利，以义为利也”，出自《大学》，意为治理国家不应以财富为利益出发点，而应以仁义为处事着眼点。“义”与“利”是中国人道德观里最基本的两个概念，一个是道德理性，一个是功利理性。在儒家看来，“义”与“利”都是人性的本能，人有逐利的冲动，也会有道德的萌动，只不过在价值判断上，不仅“义”要高于“利”，而且要用“义”来约束和引导“利”。

2014年7月，习近平在韩国国立首尔大学的演讲中引用“国不以利为利，以义为利也”，指明在国际关系中要妥善处理义和利的关系，践行正确义利观。