Club提要：在多哈论坛（Doha Forum 2025）期间，北京对话举办题为“亚洲在全球变局中的角色：文明智慧与当代挑战”的圆桌对话，探讨亚洲如何在全球南北之间架起桥梁，推动更加公平的全球治理。清华大学国际关系系主任、北京对话特邀专家唐晓阳教授指出，尽管亚洲高度多元，但在快速发展过程中展现出相对克制的冲突处理方式，亚洲崛起并未重演西方式权力扩张路径，这一特点源于亚洲文明的长期历史经验与整体性思维。
北京对话获授权发布唐晓阳教授发言原文及中译版如下：
非常感谢北京对话组织这场极具启发性的研讨会。我非常喜欢此次活动的主题，将古老的智慧与当代的变革结合在一起，本身就体现了亚洲的特质。
唐晓阳教授（图源：北京对话）
事实上，正如之前几位发言者提到的，亚洲非常多元。这个概念实际上覆盖了全球近一半的人口，包含数十个差异巨大的国家。然而，我们也能看到一些共同点：亚洲拥有全球发展最快的一批国家，而这本身也体现了全球发展的一个重要趋势——主导权不再在西方，而是更多地转向“全球南方”本身。
但为什么亚洲地区展现出最强劲的增长势头？这个现象本身值得深思。回到上世纪五六十年代，根据我从历史叙述中了解（当然我本人没有经历那个时代），当时人们普遍认为非洲会比亚洲更有潜力、更有发展速度，因为当时非洲资源更丰富，而亚洲虽然人口众多，但这在当时被视为负担而非资产。亚洲也饱受战争之苦，尤其是亚太地区，当时几乎是持续不断的冲突地带。然而，50多年之后，我们看到的却是完全不同的图景：亚洲的大多数国家取得了繁荣，并保持着高速增长。
9月20日，第22届中国-东盟博览会迎来公众开放日，市民和游客纷纷前往南宁国际会展中心观展购物（图源：新华网）
在和平方面，虽然亚洲仍有一些冲突地区，但与非洲相比，甚至与如今因俄乌战争而被主导议程的欧洲相比，亚洲的战争规模总体较小、相对受到控制。这也展现出亚洲在处理国内和国际事务时的某些共同特征。
我认为，这些特点深深根植于亚洲各国自身悠久的传统之中。尽管文化上有伊斯兰、儒家、印度教等多元传统，但它们都有漫长的历史，并习惯于从长远视角、以综合方式思考问题。这种思维方式有助于亚洲国家走向更可持续、更全面的发展，而不是被局部冲突牵着走，从而轻易陷入战争。
将亚洲的崛起与欧洲工业革命时期比较，我们可以看到19世纪的欧洲在崛起过程中沉迷于战争，其延伸最终导致了两次世界大战，这也是西方权力逻辑的一部分。但当今中国和印度崛起时，正如李世默刚才提到的，他们之间即便有冲突，也只动用拳头和棍棒——为什么？因为双方都清楚，他们并不真正想打仗。事实上，中国在过去40年里从未向任何外国士兵开过一枪。这一点，我认为比任何“透明机制”都更能说明问题，因为它体现了中国坚持和平共处的原则，而且这是通过行动而不是宣示来证明的。
三十年战争地图（图源：澎湃新闻网）
在20世纪上半叶全球结构极为动荡的情况下，亚洲国家仍能设法做到放下仇恨、管控矛盾、追求一个更可持续的和平，这本身就是智慧的体现。
以卡塔尔为例，我们也能看到另一种形式的智慧。卡塔尔正在努力调解地区与国际冲突，甚至参与调解刚果（金）与卢旺达之间的争端。瑞士对此甚至感到有些失落，因为他们发现自己的传统调停角色正被卡塔尔取代。这从另一角度说明，深厚的历史与文化，以及由此形成的深邃思考方式，正在帮助亚洲国家通过不同路径找到共同利益、推动可持续和平与发展。
Thank you very much, Ms. Han Hua, for the invitation and for organizing this very inspiring workshop. I really like the topic, combining the ancient wisdom and the contemporary change. The topic itself reflects the Asian characteristic.
So, in fact, Asia, as the previous speakers already mentioned, is quite diverse. Actually, the term covers almost half of the world's population and with dozens of countries which are so different. However, we also see Asia has some common characteristics, because they are also the fastest developing countries in the world, and which actually, in fact, represents maybe the most important trend in global development, namely, it's no longer West, but the Global South itself.
They have a difference in why the Asian region demonstrated the strongest growth momentum. And that phenomenon itself raises questions. Because back in the 1950s, 1960s, I remember that time, people, of course, I didn't experience that time, but I remember from the historic narration that people actually expected in 1960s, maybe Africa would have more growth potential and speed than Asia. Because at that time, Africa, they have more resources. And Asia, they are not only poor, although they are populous, but that's actually a challenge, rather a burden than asset. And then at that time, Asia was also torn by different wars, especially in the Asia Pacific region, that was always war-driven, war-stricken regions at that time. But actually, after 50 years, we see a totally different picture, right? Asia, most of the countries, they achieve prosperity and even growing at a very high level.
And when it comes to peace, we see that although there are still some conflicted regions, but actually, we see in comparison to Africa, but even to Europe, where the Ukraine-Russian war dominates the agenda, Asia, their war is relatively limited just in these small regions. And this also shows some common characteristics of handling national and international issues.
And I think this is really rooted in Asia's own long tradition. Every country, although there are Islamic, there are Confucian and Hindu traditions, also different, diverse, but they all have a long history. They know how to think in a very long perspective, and think comprehensively. And I think that really helps the Asian countries to achieve, to form a more sustainable and a comprehensive development instead of just sticking to some small conflicts and then easily rush to war.
And when we compare Asia's rise with like a European in its industrial revolution, we see actually in the 19th century, Europeans were also obsessed with wars during their rise. And actually the two world wars, it's also a part of this extension of this Western thinking of this power mechanism. But actually when China and India, they are rising, actually we see, that's what Eric mentioned, they fought each other with fists, with sticks, why? Because they know we do not really want to war, although we have disputes. But actually China, since 40 years, China never shoot a bullet on any foreign soldiers. And that itself, I think, better than any transparency or better than this mechanism, because it really shows China's principle and its peaceful coexistence. And that's proven and supported by its doing. That's the real activities, right? Actually, in the first half of the 20th century, we see actually during this some very turbulent structure, the Asian countries, they were able to manage and then to put aside all this hatred and then to try to reach a more like a sustainable peace.
And I think this is actually in Qatar, we also see a different type of this wisdom. Actually, Qatar, they are trying to mediate the regional and also international conflicts. They even mediate between DRC and Rwanda. So actually, Switzerland, they were kind of frustrated to see actually they no longer have a place in the peace mediation. like Qatar. So this is actually another way of seeing this long history, long deep culture, and profound thinking really help the Asian countries to find their common interest, although they achieve that through different approaches. But actually, I also can see they have this common target of sustainable, peaceful, and development.
Club Briefing: During the Doha Forum 2025 from December 6 to 8, the Beijing Club for International Dialogue convened a round-table session titled “Asia’s Role in a Changing Global Order: Civilizational Wisdom and Contemporary Challenges.” During this session, Professor Tang Xiaoyang, Chair of the Department of International Relations at Tsinghua University and a specially invited expert of the Beijing Club for International Dialogue, delivered a keynote speech. Tang noted that despite Asia’s high degree of diversity, the region has demonstrated a comparatively restrained approach to managing conflicts amid rapid development. He emphasized that Asia’s rise has not replicated the Western path of power expansion, which is a distinctive feature rooted in Asia’s long historical experience and its holistic civilizational way of thinking.