The development of liberalism in China has been attracting attention from the international community and academic circles, also the attitudes towards liberalism plays a role in how the outside world views China. As the earliest and most influential translator of liberal thoughts, Yan Fu has not misinterpreted the classical liberalism advocated by John Stuart Mill, instead he confirmed its progressive nature and criticized its extremism. As the development of liberalism has undergone different paths in the West, it’s development in China is also constrained by the specific historical and social conditions rather than by its translation. The contradictions of liberalism is not only a historical issue, but also a reality issue; it does not only concern China but also the whole world, thus it calls for the concerted efforts of all nations to build a harmonious living space.

• 鄭惠中