Ambrose Mong
The Beijing Expo, held from 29 April to 9 October 2019, reserved a pavilion at the International Horticultural Exhibition for The Holy See. The pavillion showcased a 500-year-old gilded olive tree a quotation from Pope Francis’s encyclical, Laudato Si1: “Whether believers or not, we are agreed today that the Earth is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone. For believers, this becomes a question of fidelity to the Creator, since God created the world for everyone” [LS 93].
At the expo’s opening ceremony, China’s president, Xi Jinping, echoed a similar theme: “All humans live in a community with a shared future in the face of eco-environmental challenges. Only through collaboration can we effectively tackle global environmental issues and achieve the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals”2.
President Xi’s vision of a “community with a shared future [人類命運共同體]” underscores the interconnectedness of human destiny in combating environmental challenges, climate change, and the loss of biodiversity.
Whether believers or not, we are agreed today that the Earth is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone. For believers, this becomes a question of fidelity to the Creator, since God created the world for everyone
Laudato Si’, 93
No nation can solve this crisis alone; a collective global response is imperative for humanity’s future. Several aspects of Chinese ecological wisdom illuminate pathways for practice:
- Harmony between humankind and nature [人和自然和諧共生]: humans should respect and protect nature as their root.
- Green and low-carbon development: a transition toward a sustainable economic system is necessary to ensure long-term survival.
- Multilateralism and shared responsibility: the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” requires developed nations to provide greater support to developing ones.
- Systemic governance: ecosystems must be protected through a holistic approach that views mountains, rivers, and forests as integral to community life3.
The Chinese term for nature [自然] encompasses the idea of “naturalness”—the primordial state of things unaffected by human interference. Nature refers not only to the physical world but also to human nature, which is interwoven with the Dao [道], the Way.
In political philosophy, “naturalness” implies a community free from excessive government interference. Daoist political philosophy teaches that a ruler should respect the natural state of the people. The Daoist expression Dao fa zi ran [道法自然] means “the Way follows Nature,” expressing the state of naturalness. This entails that humans must observe, respect, and follow the laws of the earth and the laws of heaven; there is a proper relationship between human beings and the Dao, a relationship of harmony linking humans, nature, and the Way.
At its core, the Chinese conception of ecology and the relationship between people and nature can be summarised as follows: heaven, humanity, and earth are interconnected; humans are an integral part of nature
Tian ren he yi [天人合一] with early roots in Confucian thought, emphasises the unity of humanity with Heaven, that human beings and nature are one and deeply interconnected. This outlook emphasises integration and the fundamental significance of nature to human life and moral cultivation.
In other words, one must pursue virtue and meaning through interaction with the natural world. Mencius4 taught that through reflection we can discern and understand the unity of mind, human nature, and heaven.
At its core, the Chinese conception of ecology and the relationship between people and nature can be summarised as follows: heaven, humanity, and earth are interconnected; humans are an integral part of nature.
Confucianism emphasises human moral effort in social engagement with nature, while Daoism advocates minimal interference with it; we must respect the equality of all living things.
From the Christian perspective, God created human beings in his own image and likeness. God blessed Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth” [Genesis 1:28].
Humanity’s relationship with nature is one of stewardship: God has entrusted humans with the care of the Earth and all living things
Humanity’s relationship with nature is one of stewardship: God has entrusted humans with the care of the Earth and all living things.
This unique relationship with God gives meaning to our responsibility toward creation. Unfortunately, humanity has strayed from God’s original plan through disobedience. Expelled from the Garden of Eden, humans must toil and cultivate the ground for survival.
Laudato Si’ explains: “The harmony between the Creator, humanity, and creation as a whole was disrupted by our presuming to take the place of God and refusing to acknowledge our creaturely limitations. This in turn distorted our mandate to ‘have dominion’ over the earth [cf. Genesis 1:28], to ‘till it and keep it’ [Genesis 2:15]. As a result, the originally harmonious relationship between human beings and nature became conflictual [cf. Genesis 3:17–19]” [LS 66].
The exploitation and damage inflicted on the environment are thus understood as consequences of the human condition of original sin.
In China, rapid advances in science, technology and economic growth have sometimes overshadowed the vital relationship between humanity and nature, leading to issues such as pollution and widespread food waste.
Unfortunately, humanity has strayed from God’s original plan through disobedience. Expelled from the Garden of Eden, humans must toil and cultivate the ground for survival
To address these challenges, the government launched the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan [APPCAP] in September 2013, and President Xi introduced the “Empty Your Plate Campaign” in August 2020. These initiatives have helped alleviate some of the nation’s environmental concerns.
Pope Francis has poignantly stated that “wasting food is like stealing from the poor.” Research indicates that the amount of food wasted in China each year could feed 200 million people. Cultivating the virtue of thrift and reducing food waste are both moral and practical imperatives.
The pontiff invites us to experience an ecological conversion—living in harmony with nature rather than dominating it. He calls for a spirituality rooted in solidarity and respect for all relationships. Despite the destruction we witness around us, there is still hope: “All it takes is one good person to restore hope! The biblical tradition clearly shows that this renewal entails recovering and respecting the rhythms inscribed in nature by the hand of the Creator” [LS 71].
God never abandons humanity; we can still work together to build our common home.
By adopting the positive elements in Chinese culture— such as harmony with the Dao [the Way], nature, and humanity—the Chinese philosophical tradition resonates with Christian teaching. Just as Daoists strive to live in harmony with the Dao, Christians are called to maintain a right relationship with the Word.
Pope Francis’s vision of integral ecology in Laudato Si’ also echoes the Confucian understanding of humanity’s role in the cosmic order. Thus, despite cultural and religious differences, both traditions shared a moral vocabulary for caring for “our common home.”
- Francis. [2015]. Laudato Si’: Encyclical letter on care for our common home. Vatican. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html [vatican.va in Bing]
- China Global Television Network, April 28, 2019
- A Global Community of Shared Future: China’s Proposals and Actions, The State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China, September 2023
- Mencius [372–289BC], a Confucian philosopher, emphasized the unity of human nature and Heaven.
