The dormant seeds of a long-buried debate are beginning to sprout in China, with implications that could shape the future of the world`s most rapidly developing society. Scholars and officials are re-examining China`s Confucian past in search of strategies to cope with internal social conflicts and to shape international relations.
President Hu Jintao`s nationwide campaign to promote a “harmonious society” is the most visible evidence of the new trend. The phrase has become the central line of domestic policy since Hu told leaders at a Communist Party meeting in February to put it at the top of their agenda.