The issue in hand considers cultural parellels between the Western world and China. Two articles look at the strikingly similar cultural achievements of Ancient Greek and Ancient Chinese civilizations: one article directly contrasts independently developed philosophies – comparing the philosophy of 濟藏 Ji Zang (549-623) with Pyrrho and Nicholas of Cusa – while another article considers the similarities and differences of Ancient Greek and Chinese Ethics. Two other contributions deal with more recent intercultural encounters: one concerns the first culturally influential Western group in China, the Jesuits, early documents of the Rites Controversy, and, in my own contribution, Woesler looks at some early translations - both Chinese translations of Western works and Western translations of Chinese works - since translations play a major role in bringing cultures together.