Widespread reception 

After almost 20 years of hard work, a set of seven beautiful volumes of coffee-table art book and two academic works on the Chinese civilization were presented to the readers. They cover the birth of the Chinese civilization, art, architecture, sculpture and philosophy and are a feast both for the eye and the mind. The books caught the attention of people in China and the United States, and people from Europe and other parts of Asia came on board with their own language editions.

Many individual works won awards, in China and the United States. During the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games Beijing 2008, the project won the International Truce Award for its contribution to international understanding and peace.

Now 30 years on, as I view the widening gap in opinions on many issues between our two countries, I cannot help reflecting on what brought us together then and what is dividing us now. Perhaps there is one element we have to think of and think hard: What do we want to leave for our children?

I remember what my American counterpart in the project, former UN Under Secretary General Joseph Reed, used to say on being asked why he devoted so much of his time and energy to such a publishing project: "I want to leave my children and the children of my children the knowledge of a civilization that has lasted for so many centuries."

He was sending out a very convincing message when he suggested that the cultural riches of China, the best scholarship produced by the joint efforts of Chinese and American authors, and the availability of original and previously inaccessible resources would lead to the understanding of the Chinese civilization, and what lay at its core that shaped the Chinese mind.

The value of The Culture and Civilization of China project lies in the aspiration to understand the deep roots of Chinese thinking.

Luminary figures in the United States in particular, who were successful in their own fields and were able to see the historic perspectives of the Chinese culture, possessed the kind of learning that enabled them to see the development in art and culture at the time against the background of the society then. They thus could put things in historical perspective and demonstrate a wider and deeper vision. 

They also showed a willingness to listen and research so that they could find answers outside their own train of thoughts.

An impactful legacy 

As the project progressed, on May 7, 1999, during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, U.S. guided bombs hit the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, killing three and wounding more than 20. The attack immediately put an unpredicted strain on the relations between China and the United States. However, the project gained further support rather than leading to talks of decoupling because people realized that the exchange of ideas would offer a key to peace. 

This is the kind of spirit and attitude that is much needed today. Looking back, it is safe to say that people, scholars and politicians may come and go, but the kind of cultural legacy their work embodies will be seen and read by generations to come and continue to have an impact. In China's case, if a civilization can last for centuries, there must be elements in it that remain undefeated by challenges and the passage of time. The U.S. culture, forged since it declared independence from Britain in 1776, has its own values but has yet to prove its capacity to endure the change of time smoothly and peacefully.

In terms of understanding each other, China's long history and the relatively short American history both offer sources of study. They will help to see each other's point of view and become appreciative of each other, instead of growing antagonistic. 

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