ИСТИНА

1. By the end of the 21st century the world community has become a holistic global system according to all basic social parameters. This is out of the question. At the same time, the new world, now the world of global relations, is being spontaniously regulated but lacks any sort of rational and purposeful governance. This fact is very dangerous for humankind, because numerous economic, social, political and other problems become global and go out of nation-states' control having no adequate solutions. Nation-states are nowadays the central international actors. Since each of them, first of all, pursues its own ends, their interests collide and are protected with all the available means. Thus, in the context of brutal confrontation, they have only one way to avoid military conflict: using soft power in their relations with other countries. Using soft power in the sphere of cultural relations is the most humane and effective method of solving complex tasks and achieving peaceful coexistence. 2. International humanitarian activity of China makes a good example of applying cultural soft power in its relationship with various states. Establishing the World Cultural Forum (Taihu, China) has not just become a remarkable world cultural event, but also an important cultural soft power factor influencing opinions of the elites in different countries. Philosophy is another way to use cultural soft power in the contemporary world. Up to now China paid little attention to this sphere of social life. But last years the situation has started to change. For example, Chinese philosophers only insignificantly participated World Philosophical Congresses held regularly from 1900 on. But already at the 22nd World Philosophical Congress (2008), held in Asia (Seoul) first time in its history, the Chinese delegation was one of the most representative. Chinese philosophical impact on that congress was alredy visible, but there were still very few Chinese philosophers acting as chairs of panels, roundtables and symposia, or as plenary speakers. In five years, at the 23rd World Philosophical Congress (2013, Athens, Greece) the situation once again changed. This time the Chinese delegation in numbers was the fourth one after Greece, Russian and the U.S. Chinese philosophers actively participated many panels and roundtables. In particular, Prof. Tu Weiming, the head of the Chinese delegation, chaired a large panel on Confucian philosophy and had a presentation at the General Assembly of International Federation of Philosophical Societies. At the congress he became one of the most important figures. As a result, the General Assembly of International Federation of Philosophical Societies decided to hold the next, 24th World Philosophical Congress in August 2018 in Beijing. This is a great success of the contemporary Chinese philosophy and a good example of using cultural soft power internationally in the humanitarian sphere. 3. Cultural soft power is not just unilatteral, but bilatteral, when two countries mutually influence each other. This can be illustrated by Sino-Russian relations in the sphere of philosophy. For example, Chinese philosophers actively participate Russian philosophical congresses and conferences, they more and more often are published in Russian philosophical journals. Simultaneously, the interest in Russia to both traditional and modern Chinese philosophy and to Chinese culture in general is steadily growing last years. At the same time, more Russian philosophers take part in Chinese academic gatherings; contacts between Chinese philosophers and the world philosophical community increase. 4. In this connection it should be emphasized that the development of scientific relations is more effective when the scientific community is well organized. Therefore China definitely needs its own Association of Philosophers, not yet existing. That such organization would be useful, is demonstrated by the experience of all the advanced countries having such national associations and by more than forty fruitful years of the Russian philosophical society now having about 6 thousand members, including some Chinese philosophers, specializing in Russian philosophy. Evidently, further development of philosophical connections between China and other countries in the context of cultural soft power interaction will lead to implementation of the idea of establishing the Chinese Association of Philosophers in the near future. Apart from coordinating philosophical activity inside China, it would let various Chinese philosophical organizations act concordantly on the international arena. I think that the next World Philosophical Congress to be held, as it has already been mentioned, in China first time in its one hundred years of history, will also contribute into these processes.