Beijing s Strategic Ends: Harmony Through Hierarchy and the End of Choice | RealClearDefense
Beijing has long pursued a belief in Chinese exceptionalism, which has recently morphed into a more ethnocentric exceptionalism tied to Han Chinese identity.[4] Language, history, and culture all contribute to Beijing s Sino-centric worldview, and the longevity of Chinese civilization feeds into perceptions of Han exceptionalism. While Imperial China was a hodgepodge of different ethnic groups tied together through Chinese language and cultural institutions, Han Chinese were more often in positions of power and influence within the bureaucracy.
Despite these privileged positions, prior to the fall of Imperial China in 1912, there was little concept of a Han Chinese race. Early 20th century Chinese revolutionaries helped promote a sense of Han identity through anti-Manchu campaigns and other forms of revolutionary zeal, but it was only in the past 40 years the concept of a Chinese race began to permeate widely throughout Chinese society.[5] This has allowed China s post-Mao leadership to take historical views of Sino-centrism and co-opt it with ethno-nationalist rhetoric that identifies Han Chinese people and culture as exceptional, irreplaceable, and synonymous with China.[6] In modern foreign policy, Friend & Thayer found the racism, xenophobia, and nativism embedded within the Han centric narrative have made possible a strong us versus them mentality that the [People s Republic of China] uses to promote its national interests. [7]
The funny thing is, it’s the system founded by a bunch of dead white males that is the only thing on offer that is not racist, and all the people who say it is racist, want to get rid of that system so they can put in place a genuinely racist way of organizing things. What they don’t realize is that the race that will be on top is probably the Chinese, if you’re looking at race, anyway. Cheery prospect. Black is white today and wrong is right today, I guess.