The expression “Harmonious Society” is found in the Chinese book Términos clave para leer a China, by Xia Hewen, published by Ediciones en Lenguas Extrangeras, 2008, Beijing. It is a glossary of terms grouped in categories; the expression above is composed of a set of 22 terms of “Political” category. According to the publication, the proposition of “hacer más armoniosa la sociedad” is a decision consequence of the XVI National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, of 2002. In addition, in September 2004, the IV Plenary of the Central Committee emphasized the need to consider as fundamental for governability “la elevación de la capacidad de estructurar una  sociedad armoniosa socialista”.

In fact, the expression seems to have an important meaning for Chinese civilization. To the Confucians, a perfect society resided in a “World Community of the Great Harmony”. To get it, people would have to tread the “The Great Path of Virtue”. However, for the old masters of Confucius followers, this virtuous path demanded a complex network of duties and obligations. So, for the Confucians, a constitutive body of society extends to races and countries. In the past, it was seen as the Universal Empire or Celestial Empire. Nevertheless, the origin of the Way had been in the family relations, recognized and examined by Max Weber, who characterized China as a family-oriented State. Family should be the cell and the nucleus of the Confucian structure, that is, the fulcrum of moral development. So, the individual acts with his home as his base and all human relations should be expressed as familiar relations.

Confucius and his followers recommended families to be organized; so, there had to be order. In addition, the order in that nucleus relied on the hierarchy. In consequence, there were many obligations inside the family bosom, largely developed by the Confucians, for example, the filial piety. That is, the family nucleus was the beginning and the original means for reaching the lofty objective. Therefore, the family should be a long educational process of reaching world citizenship. If we imagine, spilling over beyond the family, the observance of  hierarchy precepts comes naturally: at school, at work, at club, in politics, that is, in relation to the State.

One of the better-known Confucius´ followers, Sun-tsé, asserted that government was a partitioned institution. In his logic, men live in society; so, if each man did not receive enough to fulfil his needs, there would be disorder that would generate misery. This situation would put in check the sovereign, that is, the fundament of the Empire. Finally, to serve to the Emperor was to serve society too, and thus, humanity. However, the observance of a hierarchical scale to the partition would be necessary, given the problem known nowadays: the population scale. Literature shows us a census carried out in 680 B.C. that counted about eleven million people. The hierarchical scale for  the provisioning of the partition differentiated the honourable man from the common person, the aged from the young, the wise from the uncultured. The aim of the partition points to another hierarchical scale, which is: material goods; legal protection; and, lastly, the benefit of an administrative organization. Therefore, we can affirm that the concept “World Community of the Great Harmony” had a fundamental hierarchical order, with the apex of the scale identified as the Celestial Empire, characterized at the time by the figure of its Emperor. We could note that this ancient Empire operated the old world community through the taxes collected around China.

Western tradition, as is known, is quite different. The constitution of the modern State is recent, from the XVII century with the peace of Westphalia. It recognised the sovereignty among States and, so, the International System is known to be anarchical, but in an orderly fashion. Therefore, over time, many arrangements were sought and idealized, among which was the balance of power. It was mitigated for periods, but there were conflicts. Some of those determined alterations in the design of this balance, such as the material means of coercion. In modern times, multilateral instruments of co-existence among States were created in order to enhance the conduct between them. They mitigate compulsive action to conflict, with the operation of the distribution of benefits - maximizing absolute gains, according to liberal conception; or concerned with maintenance of gains relative to the central power, according to realists.

In fact, international regimes have obtained differing results as and when rules are showed that try to attract the various States. In many cases, not being inside a regime resulted in many costs, whatever they may have been. In addition, they attract the Chinese too. One known example was the PRC government diligence in participating in the WTO or participating in the International Convention of Civil Aviation, or 1982 Convention on the Law of Sea, in force since 1994. In reference to this last one, although PRC had ratify it in May 1996, it has specific demands over the disputed offshore islands, based on historical records, especially in the South China Sea. However, it is known that there are complex questions that induce States to tension. When States have concerns about the supply of energy, it could lead to conflict. In those cases, international regimes are got around.

Chinese authorities have put to use the harmony word in their discourses referring to foreign affairs. In fact, in a common sense meaning, it could be interpreted as a search for peace and conciliation in international relations. In this sense, it is a contribution to reduce or to move away from tensions. It helps to search for equalitarian solutions for disputes inside the State system. It keeps away suspicions in reference to Chinese initiatives in the search for the materials necessary for the government to provide people with material goods, which is the first priority of the Confucian doctrine. It seems already to be fundamental that supplying of goods be satisfactory because of pressures from Chinese people with reference to goods consumed by a population segment, but not accessible for all Chinese people. It is an effort by the Chinese government to build mutual confidence among States, so that it has access to raw materials without provoking tensions in the international system.

However, there is a question that seems to be insufficiently discussed. If the search for a perfect “World Community for the Great Harmony” is a dream, it does not mean that it should not be pursued. A search for education, parting from the family core, seems to be under way in China. The work to incentivize students and scientists to get their courses, stages and resources in better universities is not without purpose. The return to these intellectual capacities in China should result in extensive benefits for the Chinese State. In another way, if this sophisticated and growingly educated society follows the old Confucian ritual, this broad harmony is fundamentally hierarchical. If we think of this structure applied to Chinese international relations, we will have a change in the international system: it will not be anarchical, but will be hierarchical. In this case, what would the Nation-State placed on the top of this international pyramid be, if not hierarchical? Would there be an inexistence of tensions and conflicts? Would it be close to the “World Community of Great Harmony”? Finally, could Western people see ideal Perpetual Peace? However, would there be taxes to pay and who should receive them?