The New Chinese Empire

The New Chinese Empire
by Ross Terrill

This is a must read book for those who have any notions that China is the oldest country of our world. For those who hold a belief that China as it stands today has been around for 2,500 years, or holds the most consistent line of government, and most importantly is therefore not imperialistic: read this book.

Terrell takes up a few basic themes in the book. First he elaborates of the dynasties of China. Dynastic China while it took it's beginning 2,500 years ago; each dynasty represents a change in rule. While the change in rule indeed represents a change in government, this change would typicaly also bring in a change in the boarder of an expanding China. Whether, having been conquered of having conquered, the result meant an expansion and solidification of the Sino/Chinese culture. While the Han people dominate Chinese populous and this brings the Confucius strain of thought, there are numerous other people from the periphery who now are considered Chinese. To draw from Jarrod Dianonds Gun, Germs and Steel this would simply appear at a natural evolution of civilization. Yet along with Confucism comes the other side of Chinese rule which is very autocratic. In the case of China, the evolution may have been more by force than natural selection. Against this historical background, Terrell connects the history with the present in order to predict where China may end up in the 21st century.


China is a state where corrupt fiscal policy is out of sync with its politics. While, dysfunctional fiscal systems funnel money to the elite few, the masses in regions on the periphery with a past not vested in a Han Tang culture find two reasons to call for reform. Yet in communistic China, as in Imperialistic China their voice for reform is like a fallen tree in the woods. With no one to listen, the reform has only one path which may predict a revolt. It is important to remember China has 2,500 years of experience in this area, so hope is not high from a historic point of view.


In the examination of the Dynasties we find a few facts that would suggest a well rooted behavioral pattern that would likely continue The question, can China escape it's imperialistic past begins to be answered in observing the post dynastic China which oddly enough began in 1911. The Qin dynasty fell under its own weight. Jaing Kei Shek took the reignwith an attempt at democracy , then lost it miltiarily to Mao and now we see China’s current leaders holding on to imperialistic roots. In the question, will the weight of these roots work in favor or against the capitalistic culture of the west is speculated in eight different scenarios. While the author conveys an attempt to be objective, his bias is towards Imperialism. "China's present is claimed to be pretentious, aggrieved, and fearful in the face of today’s international issues. The PRC is caught between the compromises and mutual interdependent international existence and unilateral condescending, ideological pronounciamentos of an imperials state" is what the author really thinks

In this case you can judge a book by its cover.