Ana Cristina Alves Photo: PROVIDED TO CSST

At a 2014 speech at the UNESCO Headquarters, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that “Civilizations become richer and more colorful through exchanges and mutual learning, which form an important driver for human progress and global peace and development.” This emphasis on exchange provides a fitting frame for the work of Ana Cristina Alves, a Portuguese sinologist and researcher at the Macao Scientific and Cultural Center in Lisbon who has long been engaged in Chinese philosophy, translation studies, and cross-cultural dialogue. In a recent interview with CSST, Alves reflected on the connections between Chinese and Western intellectual and cultural traditions, expressing her conviction that academic exchange can strengthen cultural communication, deepen mutual understanding, and open new avenues of thought.

Curiosity-driven encounter with Chinese philosophy

CSST: Your academic and professional career has long been dedicated to Chinese studies and translation. What first drew you to the Chinese language and culture?

Alves: My first encounter with China came after I completed my undergraduate degree in philosophy in Portugal. During my studies I was mainly immersed in Western philosophical traditions, and this led me to wonder how people from other intellectual traditions think about life, society, and human existence.

With this curiosity in mind, I went to Macao, a place where Eastern and Western traditions meet in a particularly vivid way. There I began to explore classical Chinese philosophy, and I found in it many inspiring reflections on life and the human condition. I was especially intrigued by what I perceived as a kind of meritocratic outlook in Chinese thought, which differs in important ways from the more rhetorical, critical, rationalist traditions often associated with Western democratic discourse.

Through this experience I gradually came to understand both why our cultures can appear so different and why, at a deeper level, they also share important similarities. This realization strengthened my conviction that it is possible to find common ground across cultures and traditions—and that from these encounters new and creative forms of dialogue can emerge.

Cultural translation as bridge between traditions

CSST: In Culturas em Diálogo: A Tradu??o Chinês-Português (2016), you conceptualize Chinese–Portuguese translation not merely as linguistic transfer but as a form of cultural dialogue that mediates philosophical concepts, symbolism, and historical worldviews. Could you elaborate on the core principles of your translation philosophy?

Alves: I don’t believe that any text is truly untranslatable, because a cultural translation approach can always offer a solution. In translation, a choice often needs to be made between preserving literal meaning and preserving form or style of the original texts.

For example, there is a Chinese saying: “If you don’t work, you don’t have rice to eat,” but for a Portuguese reader, this may not resonate. In such cases, I might adapt it to “If you don’t work, you don’t have bread to eat,” and then provide a footnote explaining the cultural context. This kind of adaptation is necessary for readers from different cultures to truly understand one another.

When translating key Chinese concepts that have no direct equivalents—such as wuwei—I often use a phonetic approach, writing the term in pinyin and supplementing it with a detailed footnote to explain its meaning. This allows the original concept to be preserved while still making it accessible.

Ultimately, I see translation as finding a middle way between foreignization and domestication: respecting the foreign text and its cultural depth while making it comprehensible to the target audience. This approach, I believe, allows translation to become a genuine cultural dialogue rather than just a linguistic exercise.

CSST: Your work frequently places Confucian and Taoist concepts in dialogue with Western philosophical traditions, from ancient Greek thought to modern philosophy. From a comparative perspective, what do you see as the most promising or urgent conceptual dialogues between Chinese thought and Western philosophy today, and what new insights might they generate for both traditions?

Alves: As I mentioned earlier, Chinese philosophy has often developed a strong meritocratic and ethical orientation, offering models of conduct that guide individuals in how to live a meaningful and harmonious life and how to cultivate inner tranquility. Western philosophy, on the other hand, has developed a powerful critical tradition that emphasizes questioning, argumentation, and analytical reflection.

These two traditions are not opposed to each other; rather, they are complementary. Chinese thought contributes profound reflections on ethical cultivation, harmony, and the relationship between human beings and the cosmos, while Western philosophy offers rigorous tools of critique and conceptual analysis. When these traditions enter into dialogue, each can illuminate aspects that one or the other may overlook.

Through such philosophical dialogue, scholars can avoid cultural prejudice, broaden their intellectual horizons, and share the long-accumulated wisdom of different civilizations with the wider community. In this way, the deeper purpose of our studies can be fulfilled.

In today’s world, this dialogue is particularly important. By learning from one another, Chinese and Western philosophical traditions may together help us explore a kind of “middle way”—a balanced perspective that encourages mutual understanding and contributes to a more peaceful and cooperative global future.

Classical roots, modern horizons

CSST: In contemporary China studies in Europe, research remains deeply rooted in classical texts while also showing growing interest in modern and contemporary literature. How do you assess the future trajectory of this dual research orientation?

Alves: It is true that many scholars from the older generation of sinologists in Portugal—and in Europe more broadly—have traditionally focused on classical Chinese texts. However, this does not mean that these texts are studied only from a historical perspective. On the contrary, we often interpret them from a contemporary viewpoint, seeking creative ways to understand their relevance in today’s world. In this sense, ancient wisdom and new interpretations can come together to form a richer and more comprehensive way of thinking.

At the same time, a younger generation of scholars has shown increasing interest in contemporary China. Many of them study modern and contemporary Chinese literature, with the hope of bringing Chinese literary works into broader global conversations and placing them alongside Western literary traditions.

I believe this dual research orientation will continue in the future. The importance attached to classical texts is unlikely to diminish, because Chinese culture is deeply rooted in these intellectual and philosophical traditions. At the same time, the study of modern and contemporary China will continue to expand as scholars seek to better understand China’s evolving society and culture.

Overall, I see the field of Sinology and China studies as very promising, precisely because it combines a deep engagement with classical traditions and a growing interest in contemporary developments.

Building understanding through scholarship

CSST: How do classical Chinese philosophy and texts remain relevant to the contemporary world, particularly when translated and brought into dialogue with global concerns such as ethics, governance, and cultural diversity?

Alves: I believe Chinese philosophy remains highly relevant in today’s world, particularly because of its strong emphasis on ethical and moral cultivation. Classical texts such as Tao Te Ching and the Analects contain many reflections on how to cultivate virtue, maintain balance in life, and contribute to a more harmonious society. These ideas can still speak meaningfully to contemporary global discussions about ethics and human responsibility.

Other philosophical works, including those of Zhuangzi, Mozi, and Han Feizi, also provide rich perspectives on how individuals and societies might navigate an increasingly interconnected world. Although these texts emerged in very different historical contexts, their reflections on human nature, social order, and the relationship between individuals and the broader cosmos remain thought-provoking today.

For personal cultivation, ideas such as wuwei—often translated as “no acting”—encourage a way of living that emphasizes balance, adaptability, and harmony with the natural world. Such perspectives can offer valuable inspiration for individuals seeking meaning and equilibrium in modern life.

At the level of governance, the long-standing meritocratic tradition in Chinese political thought raises important questions about how societies might identify capable and virtuous leadership. While political systems differ across cultures, these discussions can still contribute to broader conversations about good governance and responsible public service.

For these reasons, I see classical Chinese philosophy not as an alternative to Western traditions, but as a valuable complement to them. When brought into dialogue through translation and scholarly exchange, these traditions can enrich one another and offer new perspectives for addressing shared global challenges.