Though these two identities may appear unrelated, they are actually intrinsically linked.

Carvalho's interest in China was first piqued during his master's and doctoral studies. "When I was still a graduate student, I had a supervisor who was from the field of international relations and made me realize the importance of studying non-Western cultures. During my Ph.D. studies, I delved deeper into the study of the role of language in the construction of international law, where the influence of internationally commonly used languages, like English and Spanish, is predominant," he told Beijing Review.

"From then on, I began to wonder about the influence of China, the world's second largest economy, in the contemporary international order and even in the construction of the contents of international legal norms," he said.

Echoes of ancient sages 

Intrigued by China's performance on the diplomatic stage, Carvalho later became more deeply involved in the study of this country, especially its culture and philosophy.

"In Chinese philosophy, many expressions are open to interpretation," Carvalho shared. "Ancient Chinese philosophers commonly used metaphors and analogies as a type of linguistic strategy, so that one expression allows for several interpretations." Moreover, he often draws inspiration from the ideas of ancient Chinese sages.

One of the concepts that appeals to him is that of wuwei, the main idea of Taoism, a Chinese philosophy advocating humility based on the writings of the ancient thinker Laozi (c. 6th century B.C.). "Literally, it means 'no action,' 'doing nothing.' But this is not a negative concept that puts people in a completely passive situation. It's more about not doing anything that goes against the laws of nature. In other words, one should observe the trend or facts or circumstances to make thoughtful decisions," Carvalho said. 

Another one of his takeaways from this concept is not to force things to grow. "For example, when you observe the growth of a tree, it has its own course. The practice of taking no action is in accordance with the natural flow of the universe. And so, pushing or forcing things to develop is actually arrogant. It is necessary to respect the natural process of things," he explained.

In addition to Laozi, Confucius (c. 551-479 B.C.), too, left a deep impression on him—both as a teacher and as a philosopher.

"Confucius once said 'guoyoubuji'. This means that doing too much and not doing enough are equally unacceptable. The key is moderation," Carvalho said, adding that he applies this understanding to his professional field.

"One can clearly see the traces of moderation in China's foreign policy. China opposes extremism and is always trying to find a path to dialogue that respects the development processes of all countries."

He even created an expression based on this observation to define China's diplomacy, namely, "subtle diplomacy."

"Because in China, being subtle is very important. No one in a debate would directly accuse the other side of being wrong. Direct confrontation is rare in China. Cooperation should be mutually beneficial, something China's foreign policy always champions."

Journey to the East 

After delving into a stack of literature on Chinese culture as well as exploring a host of non-Western legal writings, Carvalho felt he should come to China.

"One cannot understand China from a single dimension. I've heard many economists discussing China. Some of them try to interpret China based on data that may come from a government department or an organization. True, it is important to use data to assess the direction of economic development, and there are also quite a few people in Brazil trying to analyze China through numbers, but for me, a sole analysis is not enough," he elaborated.

"In scientific research, we tend to keep our distance from the research topics. But in social science research, especially when you're trying to understand a country, you have to get up close and personal. And the best way to grasp a topic is to immerse yourself in it," Carvalho said.

In 2013, he finally set foot on Chinese soil and had stayed in Shanghai for two years. It was during this time that he first came into contact with CICG (then called China International Publishing Group) and started working with the organization on China Hoje.

"I consider the establishment of China Hoje my most significant contribution to China. That's my core job. It serves as a gateway for Brazilian readers to read about different topics at play in China. It gives them a depth and breadth of information that is not readily available in Brazil. China Hoje continues to innovate as it evolves. It now has a website, social media accounts, people-to-people and intercultural exchange activities, as well as a podcast and a TikTok account. All this gives me a great sense of accomplishment."

One recent memorable experience, in Carvalho's words, perfectly summed up his 10 years of dedicated research on China: receiving the 2024 Chinese Government Friendship Award, an award to commend foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to China's reform and development.

"I was overwhelmed with joy. I think, to some extent, receiving this award has deepened my sense of responsibility, made me want to open up more channels so that more people will have the willingness and opportunity to visit China, and build a bridge of friendship with China. I was so inspired and excited," he recalled.

In addition to focusing on China's rapid development and political performance from a scholarly perspective, Carvalho also likes to dig into the country's everyday side. In Beijing, he enjoys visiting historical sites like the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, which housed China's imperial palace from the 15th century to the early 20th century, and strolling through the hutongs, the capital city's typical narrow alleys, to observe people in their day-to-day lives.

"All this is like a jigsaw puzzle; I'm slowly piecing together my understanding of China, gradually deepening my perception of this country," he said.

"For me, China represents a whole new perspective to observe and understand the world. This aligns with what I originally wanted to pursue academically because I was searching for new theoretical tools to comprehend the world. It's different from my educational background, which is based on the Western mindset. China offered me that tool," he concluded.

(Print Edition Title: Piecing Together a Puzzle) 

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon 

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