Western thought, says Michael Dunford, emeritus professor at the University of Sussex, is rooted in the idea of imposing form – a mold – on matter, and the matter to be shaped is other parts of the world. The mold is its own image. Hence, he says, Western powers claim moral superiority to justify regime change, intervention and war.

Chinese philosophy, he argues, starts with relationships. How we can live in relation to others, how we can create a harmonious society. China advocates for a non-interfering international order based on mutual respect and shared interests rather than conflict.