The new Chinese empire : is it actually new?

Abstract

The People’s Republic of China is the topic of many discussions around the world today. Everything from it’s remarkable, and quick, rise to the top of the economic food chain to its constantly evolving government and the restrictions placed on people’s lives within the country. For many people, using simply “China” is a good way of describing the nation but in interest of clarity, this paper will consistently refer to the “mainland” as The People’s Republic of China. This helps to make the distinctions between The People’s Republic, which is commonly known as China throughout most of the world, and Taiwan which is also known as the Republic of China seeing as both are ethnically, culturally, and historically Chinese. The issue of what constitutes “real China” is a touchy subject, especially to the government of the People’s Republic which demands companies and governments not to recognize the nation of Taiwan as an independent entity from the People’s Republic of China. In recent years, the People’s Republic government has used its influence and power in the world economy to convince nations to rescind their recognition of the Republic of China and this has been a point of contention for some nations including the United States. With the People’s Republic of China’s growing influence and strength, it appears that they are carving out an empire for themselves in not only the region, but the world as well. The question that this paper will examine is regarding the type of empire that the PRC is building. Is the People’s Republic striving to create an old empire like the Prussian Empire in Europe, or are they attempting to create an entirely new type of empire? This does not imply that the single party authoritarian government of the PRC is about to re-instate the Chinese imperial hierarchy, though the recent changes to the constitution allowing current president Xi Jinping to remain in power indefinitely, might insinuate it. Rather, this study will examine the tendencies of previous empires around the world and compare/contrast with the actions and statements of the government of the People’s Republic in order to help better characterize the type of nation that the PRC is and what could be in store for a modern Chinese nation as well as the region. This appeared particularly relevant because of the increasing role that the People’s Republic is playing in the modern stage of international relations.