Yang, Hengda2019-09-252019-09-252010-11-2420101940-1485http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12424/175985There has been debate in China whether China should accept Western values such as democracy, liberty, human rights, and equality. Critics of universal values argue that there are no such things as universal values and "absolutely applicable" ethics, but this essay argues that universal values belong to the whole mankind, and democracy includes universal values in its basic political theory. The two basic principles of universal values proposed by the Declaration towards a Global Ethics of Humanity and Reciprocity are the starting point of a just society and fair business in economic fields. In China's traditional culture, some ideas proposed by Confucius, Mencius, MoTzu and other philosophers convey the humanity-oriented thought of the Chinese traditional ethics, such as "universal love" and "benevolence", which will contribute to the common spiritual wealth of the whole mankind based on universal values in the context of market competition.engWith permission of the license/copyright holderuniversal valuesdemocracyculturePolitical ethicsCultural ethicsCultural/intercultural ethicsArticle