How China Sees the World: Han-Centrism and the Balance of Power in International Politics

by John M. Friend, John Friend

Han-centrism, a virulent form of Chinese nationalism, asserts that the Han Chinese are superior to other peoples and have a legitimate right to advance Chinese interests at the expense of other countries. Han nationalists have called for policies that will allow China to reclaim the prosperity stolen by foreign powers during the “Century of Humiliation.” The growth of Chinese capabilities and Han-centrism suggests that the United States, its allies, and other countries in Asia will face an increasingly assertive China—one that thinks it possesses a right to dominate international politics.

John M. Friend and Bradley A. Thayer explore the roots of the growing Han nationalist group and the implications of Chinese hypernationalism for minorities within China and for international relations. The deeply rooted chauvinism and social Darwinism underlying Han-centrism, along with China’s rapid growth, threaten the current stability of international politics, making national and international competition and conflict over security more likely. Western thinkers have yet to consider the adverse implications of a hypernationalistic China, as opposed to the policies of a pragmatic China, were it to become the world’s dominant state.
 

Genres: China, Nonfiction, Politics

192 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 2018

Reviews

[Rob Hocking · Rating 1 out of 5]

The basic premise of this book is that we should be thinking - now - about what a world in which China is the dominant state would be like. I agree that this is something we need to be thinking about and that's why I decided to read this book.

The book's other basic assertion is that Han Nationalism - i.e. the idea that Han Chinese are inherently superior to China's other ethnic minorities, as well as all other races - is critical to understanding where China is heading and what its goals are. I don't know if I agree with this assertion, but it is at least an interesting idea. Certainly, given the way China treats its ethnic minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet, there is at least some plausibility to a part of this assertion.

Unfortunately, I found the writing style of this book to be so boring that I most of the time I had trouble absorbing what they were trying to say. For example, instead of complete arguments, the book consisted mainly of assertions followed by a reference to some book or article. I understand that this is often how things are done in academic writing - I do the same thing myself. However, this puts me in a position where I have make a choice:

1. Go through the effort of tracking down these references for myself, in order to see if the arguments therein make sense.
2. Assume that the authors have done their homework and trust them, without checking the references myself.
3. Not check the references myself, and remain sceptical of the whole book.

I have gone with choice three. This is because while I couldn't be sure of most of the references, there was one that I knew had been discredited - a report by Beijing that Uighurs from Xinjiang had fought alongside ISIS - one of my previous books on Xinjiang went into great detail about the lack of any evidence for this, other than Beijing's assertion that it is true. This made me doubt the whole book.

Also, despite being only around 150 pages, I found the book to be incredibly repetitive - in particular, the final chapter seemed to consist almost entirely of full paragraphs copy-pasted word for word from other parts of the book. This made the experience of reading the book even more boring.

However, on a positive note, there was one idea from the book that I found interesting and plausible enough to be worth further exploration. This is the notion that Han nationalism has its origins in the revolution to overthrow the Manchu Qing dynasty. The book asserts that revolutionaries at the time believed that China's weakness was due to the country being controlled for the past few centuries by non-Han (Manchus), and saw the revolution not just as overthrowing the Imperial system, but also restoring control of the country to Han Chinese.

Overall, I do not recommend this book.

[Katie Hirzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt that this book was thought-provoking and offered a deep understanding of the Han-centric worldview and its implications for global politics. The authors provide a comprehensive analysis of the historical and cultural roots of Han-centrism (the roots being the trauma and humiliation experienced by China over the past 200 years). The book explains the "us vs them" mentality and hyper-nationalistic emphasis on restoring China's historical position.

The authors highlight how the CCP strategically appeals to ethnic nationalism and exploits historical narratives of victimization to maintain support and shape China's regional and global policies. The book suggests many Western scholars aren't accounting for the "angry youth" to continue to promote a more aggressive China.

The Global South is touched on, with China moving into Latin America and Africa in their new economic initiatives...I personally wonder how this will play out in the upcoming years. If the Han-centric worldview overwhelmingly dominates China, then the Global South will begin to push back on China's influence, which is where the US should jump in.

This was a great book for someone who hasn't read about race in China. It is very short and is a quick overview.

[Will Eifert · Rating 3 out of 5]

For anybody interested in foreign relations and China, Han-centrism and nationalism is a fascinating new perspective. This book contains good information, but the writing style is quite academic and at times repetitive.

The book provides very interesting insight into Belt & Road and Chinese relations with the Global South, as well as racial discrimination in China compared to their projection of tolerance. The authors also put strategies that would work to counter hypernationalism.

It's a worthy read, but a slow read. The writing is reminiscent of college papers, and their's nothing inherently wrong with that. But I'd rather read more selections of ancient writers or real-world examples than several different scholarly ways of defining "The Other."

I would recommend this book to anybody wanting to understand more about China. Keep in mind that it might be a bit of a slow go at some points.

[Susan Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book draws on the work of many other authors for its information about China and its place in the world. The thesis of the book is that China is a Han-centric society which values the culture, values and history of the Han people above all others. It is a closed society with a relatively strict hierarchy of "benefits" flowing primarily to the ancestors of the Han which China sees as the "true" population and inheritors of benefits and positions of power within China. The book is repetitive, and conclusions are presented multiple times. I found the information valuable in my perceptions of both the China economy and other economies around the world. I will view political rhetoric from both the US and China with a new perspective.

I donated my copy of this book to a Little Free Library in Michigan.