Social Sciences in China, 2025

Vol. 46, No. 1, 2025

Theoretical Construction and Diplomatic Practice of the New Li-Based Order

(Abstract)

Peng Bo and Xue Li

From a civilizational perspective, the traditional Chinese li-based order and the Western Christian world order, demonstrate a profound paradigmatic divergence up to the dawn of the modern era. The former is grounded in principles of voluntariness and heterogeneous inclusivity, which serve as its defining essence and aspirational values. In contrast, the latter is defined by coercion and homogeneity, underpinned by exclusivity as its core ethos. The traditional Chinese li-based order is uniquely characterized by inclusivity, differentiation, and relationality. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the nation’s diplomatic philosophy and practices have infused these traditional characteristics with modern significance, progressively shaping a new li-based order. This evolution harmonizes the essential attributes of the traditional Chinese li-based order with the core elements of the contemporary international system. Situated within the broader framework of the modern global order, as a component of the contemporary international order, this new li-based order is not a separate or antagonistic construct but an integral, dynamic element within it. Unlike the exclusivist and insular tendencies of the Western-centric international order, the new li-based order advocates inclusivity and openness. The study of this new construct provides a novel interpretive framework for understanding and articulating China’s vision of global order, China’s foreign policy strategies, and China’s relationship mode with the contemporary order.

Keywords: new li-based order, traditional Chinese culture, Chinese diplomacy, a community with a shared future for mankind