Regarded as part of the cultural heritage, Confucianism and its principles play a major role in shaping the welfare state and the development of social welfare in the East Asia region. This article aims to analyse the expression and influence of Confucianism on the formation of the welfare state in the East Asia region. The Confucian welfare state has been shown to be characterised by low state intervention and investment in social welfare, relatively strong family ties, an emphasis on family

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... sponsibilities and duties in solving social problems, familialism, patriarchal hierarchy, etc. The principles of Confucianism promote a three-tier system of social assistance that includes family, community and governmental layers, in descending order of priority. In the article, the author provides an analysis of scientific literature and foreign research material, and uses synthesis and descriptive analytical methods.