At the Great Hall of the People in Beijing last week, an ancient parable familiar in China resurfaced in a modern diplomatic setting.
After President Xi Jinping accepted the credentials of 18 new foreign ambassadors, he invoked the parable of the "blind men and the elephant", using it to frame a broader reflection on how China is often perceived.
"The elephant is obviously very large. When a blind man touches its leg, he says the elephant is like a pillar; when another touches its belly, he says it's like a wall," Xi said. "But none of them sees the full elephant."
Noting that China's development is uneven and its culture diverse, Xi said, "To understand it, one needs to develop a comprehensive view of the real China in all its dimensions. This will help us build strong bilateral and multilateral relationships."
Xi had returned to this parable repeatedly in previous diplomatic and public settings. In a joint interview with media from BRICS countries in March 2013, he noted that "it takes much effort to know China", and that visiting one or two places is far from sufficient.
A year later in Germany, when meeting with German Sinologists, faculty representatives of the Confucius Institutes, and student representatives of Chinese language learning in Berlin, the German capital, he said that biases often stem from unfamiliarity, estrangement and misunderstanding between each other.
"To understand China, one should avoid making an overall judgment of China by understanding just one point or one aspect of it," he said, again referencing the blind men and the elephant.
"As long as we strengthen and maintain our communication and exchanges, prejudices and misunderstandings will eventually fade away," he added.
Experts said that the message has growing relevance, and that with its millennia-old history, expansive land, diverse cultures and fast-paced transformations, China demands a full and nuanced understanding — not just out of curiosity, but as a practical necessity in today's world.
Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Peking University, noted that as China's global role and presence expand, incomplete or distorted perceptions can lead to misjudgments with real consequences.
Understanding China requires attention to its ancient civilization and its contemporary realities — its economic transformation, social change and the values that continue to shape its development, Zhang said.
With an appreciation of this civilizational continuity, rooted in ideas such as benevolence, good neighborliness and harmony, interactions with China are more likely to be marked by understanding, he added.
For diplomats and business leaders with long-term exposure to the country, the call for firsthand understanding resonates strongly.
Ahmed Mustafa Fahmy, head of the League of Arab States Mission in Beijing, returned to China in 2024 after an earlier posting from 2008 to 2014. The pace of change was striking, he said. "Every province I visited showcased significant development achievements," he added, noting the unique cultural, industrial and technological character of each region.
Jack Perry, chairman of the London-based business community 48 Group, said the parable of the blind men and the elephant mirrors his own experience. "It is very easy to form a view of China by touching only one part of it. One city, one sector, one headline. But China cannot be understood that way."
Having first visited China as a child in 1992, and having later lived and worked in the country for many years, Perry said he believes understanding comes only through sustained engagement across regions and communities.
From Beijing's sense of history and decision-making to Shanghai's openness and global connectivity, and from Guangdong province's innovation-driven growth to the diverse development paths of inland and western regions, Perry said different regions have shaped his understanding in different ways. Being on the ground, he said, reveals not only the scale of China's development, but also the nation's willingness to pursue peace and work with the world to contribute constructively to global growth. Looking ahead, he expressed optimism about China's economic development. "China's scale, planning capability and innovation strength now make it a central pillar of the global economy."
Perry said he also believes that engagement through trade and investment often builds understanding in ways that politics alone cannot."If there is one message I would share, it is this: To understand China, you must see the whole elephant. And to see the whole elephant, you must be willing to travel, listen and engage with China as it truly is — not as a simplified version seen from afar. The rewards for doing so, economically and personally, are very real."
A Nigerian student who has lived in China for a decade, Ibeakamma Chinazaekpere Ugochinyere, said real understanding can only come through experience. For her, China is less a single story than a book that must be read over time. "Do not judge a book by its cover — China is like that, too. The more you read, the more interesting it becomes."
Her travels have taken her from megacities such as Beijing and Shanghai to the countryside in eastern China. "Traveling to villages in China in recent years really opened my eyes, especially the revitalization of the villages in Zhejiang province. That is one of the most fascinating stories about China for me."
Her perception of villages as remote, neglected places completely changed. Traditional-looking houses often conceal stylish, modern interiors. Local specialties and cuisines are actively promoted — not only for income, but out of pride in hometown identity.
Wang Youming, director of the Department for Developing Countries Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said: "As channels for the international community to understand China have become more accessible and more diverse, China's global image has shown a clear upward trajectory. Increasingly, the country's foreign policy is being viewed as a source of stability in a world marked by uncertainty."
China has sought to translate openness into tangible opportunities for cooperation and shared growth — an approach that resonates with the priorities of a wide range of countries, particularly across the developing world, he said.
zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn
