Great virtue is like water.

This comes from Dao De Jing (Classic of the Way and Virtue), also known as Lao Zi (The Book of Lao Zi). It means that the greatest virtue is like water, nurturing all things without competing with them.

Lao Zi (dates unknown), or Li Er, a thinker of the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) and the founder of philosophical Daoism, used this simile to advocate that a virtuous ruler should govern with the gentle and accommodating qualities displayed by water. He should assist and provide for people just as water does, rather than competing with them for resources. Later this term came to mean that one should act as water does in nourishing all things and do one's best to help others without seeking fame or profit. It also implies virtues such as endurance and modesty.

Addressing the welcome dinner of the 22nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Beijing in November 2014, Xi Jinping said: Over 2,000 years ago, Chinese philosopher Lao Zi noted that "The great virtue is like water, which benefits all of creation without trying to compete with them." True, water nourishes all things under heaven. We, APEC member economies, are brought together by the water of the Pacific Ocean. We have a shared responsibility to make the Pacific an ocean of peace, friendship and cooperation, an ocean that brings harmony, development, prosperity and progress to the Asia-Pacific region.

上善若水

“上善若水”語(yǔ)出《道德經(jīng)》，意指至高的善德善舉就如同水的品性，默默滋養(yǎng)世間萬(wàn)物而不爭(zhēng)強(qiáng)斗勝。老子以水的柔弱之性比喻至善的執(zhí)政者應(yīng)有的品德。執(zhí)政者面對(duì)百姓，應(yīng)該像水之于萬(wàn)物，輔助、成就百姓而不與其相爭(zhēng)，后多指為人處事時(shí)能像水一樣滋潤(rùn)萬(wàn)物，盡己所能幫助他人卻從不爭(zhēng)名逐利，或者具有堅(jiān)忍負(fù)重、謙卑居下的品格。

2014年11月，習(xí)近平在亞太經(jīng)合組織工商領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人峰會(huì)歡迎宴會(huì)上指出，2000多年前，老子說(shuō)：“上善若水，水利萬(wàn)物而不爭(zhēng)”，意思就是說(shuō)最高境界的善行就像水一樣涓涓細(xì)流，澤被萬(wàn)物。亞太經(jīng)合組織以太平洋之水結(jié)緣，我們有責(zé)任使太平洋成為太平之洋，友誼之洋，合作之洋，見(jiàn)證亞太地區(qū)和平、發(fā)展、繁榮、進(jìn)步。