A state ruler seeks not wealth, but righteousness.
This line comes from The Book of Rites. Since ancient times, yi (righteousness) and li (gain) have been two basic concepts in the Chinese outlook on morality. One involves virtue and the greater good, the other involves profit and material gain. The Confucian school of thought believed that profit-seeking and moral pursuit are both instincts and natural desires. In terms of value judgement, people should favor the pursuit of yi over that of li, and use yi to restrain and guide li.
At Seoul National University in July 2014, Xi Jinping said: As the ancient Chinese saying goes, "A state ruler seeks not wealth, but righteousness." We value the greater good more than shared interests in international cooperation.
國不以利為利，以義為利也
“國不以利為利，以義為利也”，出自《大學》，意為治理國家不應以財富為利益出發點，而應以仁義為處事著眼點。“義”與“利”是中國人道德觀里最基本的兩個概念，一個是道德理性，一個是功利理性。在儒家看來，“義”與“利”都是人性的本能，人有逐利的沖動，也會有道德的萌動，只不過在價值判斷上，不僅“義”要高于“利”，而且要用“義”來約束和引導“利”。
2014年7月，習近平在韓國國立首爾大學的演講中引用“國不以利為利，以義為利也”，指明在國際關系中要妥善處理義和利的關系，踐行正確義利觀。
