Do not do unto others what you would not have others do unto you.
This is a line in The Analects of Confucius. It advises one to show empathy toward others, put oneself in another's shoes, and be generous and tolerant. Anyone who imposes their will on others will see their relationships founder. This is an important Confucian principle for handling inter-personal relations. The core values are respect, benevolence, equality and tolerance.
Xi Jinping cited this quotation at the Mexican Senate in June 2013, the German Körber-Stiftung in March 2014, the UN Office at Geneva in January 2017, and the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations in 2021, thereby reiterating that China will never waver in its pursuit of peaceful development, and never seek hegemony, expansion or spheres of influence.
己所不欲，勿施于人
“己所不欲，勿施于人”，出自《论语》，意为自己不喜欢的，也不要强加给对方。这一箴言强调设身处地、换位思考，认为人应该以对待自身行为的态度为参照物来对待他人，要宽宏大量，宽恕待人。倘若把自己不喜欢的硬推给他人，不仅会破坏彼此关系，还会让事情变得僵持而不可收拾。这是儒家处理人与人关系的重要原则，体现了尊重、仁爱、平等和宽容的基本精神。
习近平于2013年6月在墨西哥参议院的演讲、2014年3月在德国科尔伯基金会的演讲、2017年1月在联合国日内瓦总部的演讲、2021年在中国—东盟建立对话关系30周年纪念峰会上的讲话等多个场合，均引用了“己所不欲，勿施于人”这一箴言，阐明中国坚持和平发展道路，永不称霸、永不扩张、永不谋求势力范围。