China is a source of strength and not to be ignored by the world

The Chinese language is the best medium to understand Chinese soft power, said Mr Javed. For instance, a country is called "Guo Jia", meaning a country is made up families. It shows Chinese people cherish families and family education.

British philosopher Bertrand Russell described "Xin Ping Qi He" or "calm" as the most important characteristic of the Chinese people, by which he meant the tendency to try to resolve disputes by negotiation rather than violence, said Mr Javed.

He also finds that Chinese people prefer to describe the power of water. For example, "Shang Shan Ruo Shui" and "Da Guo Zhe Xia Liu" mean the more powerful a country, is, the more humble it should be. This concept well illustrates why China takes the road of peaceful development, is committed to building a harmonious world, and rejects the old logic that big powers seek hegemony once they grow strong.

"The world knows only the big numbers of GDP, exports and investment data coming out of China. Only a few have ever attempted to understand the values and attributes of social capital which are fuelling China’s rise. In fact, soft power is China’s biggest export. I believe the future belongs to societies which are blessed with soft power", said Mr Javed.

The clock of time cannot be reversed, says Mr Javed. China cannot be distracted from achieving the "Chinese dream" of becoming fully developed country by 2050 AD. Beyond that, history belongs to China, come what may, as long as China continues to harness its soft power assets. The world will look more and more to China in the coming decades for answers to global, regional and local issues.

During the interview, Mr Javed emphasized that Pakistan is very fortunate to be a good neighbor and good partner with China. In the future, the peaceful development of China is not only a source of strength to be recognized by the world, but also a beacon of hope and aspiration.

At the book launch, Mr. Chen Jianyang, Director of the Chinese Cultural Centre, introduced Mr. Javed as a genuine China expert who has spent a decade in China and has a true grasp of Chinese language and culture. He described the book as a useful tool to understand the riches of China's Cultural heritage.

China's Ambassador to Germany, Mr. Shi Mingde told People's Daily reporter that the largest treasure trove of Chinese soft power is traditional culture. It boasts a strong vitality and carries the genes of five thousand years of Chinese culture.

Volker Schlegel, former Minister (Economics) at the Embassy of Germany to the United States, said that the book offers insights on China's road to development from a cultural point of view. He expressed his hope for hearing more similar voices beyond Chinese media and among diplomats.