Download full text
(external source)
Citation Suggestion
Please use the following Persistent Identifier (PID) to cite this document:
https://doi.org/10.1177/1868102621992775
Exports for your reference manager
China's pledge to civilise "all under heaven"
[journal article]
Abstract With China's global rise, both its state leadership and key academics have engaged in developing a civilisational discourse for the twenty-first century partly based on ancient cosmological concepts. This article explores the meanings of and intentions behind this discourse, including its promise of... view more
With China's global rise, both its state leadership and key academics have engaged in developing a civilisational discourse for the twenty-first century partly based on ancient cosmological concepts. This article explores the meanings of and intentions behind this discourse, including its promise of a Chinese-led world order, and discusses its intended audience and international appeal. In the backdrop of theoretical debates on empires and their missions, the article claims that without a corresponding cultural appeal, China's rising economic power and geostrategic clout are insufficient conditions to realise an empire in the classical sense. Growing inconsistencies mar the country's imperial ambitions, such as those between a global civilising outreach and a toughening domestic embrace. Instead, imperial rhetoric is cautiously integrated in the party-state's restoration of a Chinese "empire within," indicating self-centredness and a lurking re-traditionalising of Chinese state power.... view less
Keywords
China; world order; economic power; geopolitics; hegemony; foreign policy; international system; great power; party state; cultural factors
Classification
Political System, Constitution, Government
Free Keywords
Hegemoniebestrebungen von Staaten; Innenpolitik; Lokales Wissen; Position; Status und Rolle im internationalen System; Traditionale Kultur; Traditionelle Kultur; Traditionelles Wissen
Document language
English
Publication Year
2021
Page/Pages
p. 227-247
Journal
Journal of Current Chinese Affairs, 50 (2021) 2
ISSN
1868-4874
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed