Editor's Note: The Analects, a collection of Confucius' sayings from over 2,000 years ago, still has significant influence on the Chinese way of thinking and the cultural values in modern times. The book's philosophical passages are increasingly quoted by officials and dignitaries from around the world. We share some of examples in this series as follow to celebrate the 8th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, which will be held from Sept 26 to 28 in Qufu, a county-level city in Jining, East China's Shandong province.

A state cannot stand once it has lost the confidence of the people.

民无信不立

This saying from Book 12 of The Analects is an integral part of Confucianism.

Confucius pointed out that sufficient food, sufficient armaments, and the confidence of the people are the three most fundamentals of state governance. If sacrificing one or two things became unavoidable, it should be armaments and food. "Death has always been with us, but a state cannot stand once it has lost the confidence of the people."

If people do not trust the regime, national affairs will be difficult to advance. The country may be in civil strife and never be stabilized. Confucius applied this proposition to the exploration of state governance.

Likewise, in modern state governance, gaining the confidence of the public is still an important precondition for national prosperity.

This saying of "民无信不立" was once cited by Johannes Rau, the former German president, in his speech entitled "The Constitutional State - The Prerequisite for a Modern Society" at Nanjing University that was given on Sept 13, 2003. Rau quoted what Confucius told his disciple about politics, "If a government is not trustworthy, its people cannot rely on it."

File photo: Ex-President Jiang Shusheng (R) of Nanjing University confers on the then-German President Johannes Rau an honorary doctoral degree at Nanjing University on Nov 13, 2003. [Photo/Nanjing University]

File photo: The then-German President Johannes Rau (M) holds a discussion with Nanjing University students on Nov 13, 2003. [Photo/Nanjing University]