All living things grow side by side without harming one another; the universe and the seasons rotate according to their own laws without hindering each other.
This idea comes from The Doctrine of the Mean. It explains how the Chinese people get to know the world, that is, all things grow together but do not harm each other, and the universe and the seasons rotate according to their own laws but do not create conflict among themselves.
Xi Jinping cited this quotation in his keynote speech at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting held in December 2017. He said: The flourishing of civilization and the progress of humanity will not be possible without enhancing common ground, openness, inclusiveness, exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and agreeing to disagree, and different civilizations should coexist in harmony with each other and draw on each other's strength to inspire and nourish human development.
万物并育而不相害，道并行而不相悖
“万物并育而不相害，道并行而不相悖”，出自《中庸》，这一理念阐明了中国人认识世界的基本方式，那就是万物竞相生长，彼此之间并不妨害；日月运行、四时更替各有各的规律，相互之间并不冲突。
2017年12月，习近平在中国共产党与世界政党高层对话会上引用“万物并育而不相害，道并行而不相悖”，指出文明的繁盛、人类的进步，离不开求同存异、开放包容，离不开文明交流、互学互鉴。不同文明应该和谐共生、相得益彰，共同为人类发展提供精神力量。