Indeed, China has always been a behemoth of a nation. However, from studying East Asian History, for most of China's military and cultural history, it has never shown or enacted on expansionist policies as compared to say Japan. Unlike Imperial Japan of the late 19th century to the mid 20th century, the Chinese have always relied on economic means and cultural ties to enforce Her political motives.
Take for example, during the time before European Imperialism, particularly during the height of the Ming Dynasty, the Chinese sent thousands of viziers and diplomatic envoys to surrounding Kingdoms such as the Choson Dynasty of present day Korea, to the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, to the Chakri Dynasty of Siam, the Le Dynasty of Viet Nam, to the Sultans of Malacca-Peninsular Malaysia, to the Sultans of Java and Sumatra, the Sultans of Brunei, to the Sultan of Sulu and to the Rajas of Luzon, and the Visayas. These diplomatic envoys were given Imperial edicts to establish economic trade routes as well as political relations. It was customary for the Chinese Emperor to have visitations from royalties of these said Kingdoms, and China would grant economic riches of trade to these said kingdoms if only they would:
1. Kow tow before the Chinese Emperor, and by doing this recognize the Emperor's political and cultural legitimacy.
2. Establish ports for Chinese Junks to sail to and dock.
The Chinese flourished in their economic trade and we can see this during the late 15th to the early 19th century in South East Asia. Thousands of Chinese emissaries and traders were already positioned in the cities of South East Asia before the arrival of the Europeans; many were already in Ayuthaya , Kuala Lumpur, Singapura (the city state was actually established as a primary trade port town for Chinese immigrants and traders to the British Empire in the Region. Thousands of Chinese established their presence in Yogyakarta and around key cities in Java as well.
For the Philippines, the Chinese established themselves in two particular regions that were powerhouses at the time. 1. The Sulu Empire, 2. The Rajanate of Luzon. Thousands of Chinese traders docked in the ports of Basilan and Luzon and as was customary, Chinese traders would even give chinese women to the warlords of Luzon and Sulu to maintain their interest. Popular goods that the Chinese wanted from the Philippines was hemp, rice, agricultural spices; and the Chinese provided china plates, teapots. When the Spanish arrived in the Philippines, the conquistadores actually grew weary of the presence of Chinese workers undermining Spanish authority that the Spaniards actually enacted anti-Chinese laws throughout the archipelago. It was forbidden for Chinese men or women to marry Filipino men and women or Spaniards for that matter.
The caste system that was established was: Spaniard > Spanish Mestizo > Filipino> Chinese> Dog.
But nonetheless, throughout much of China's history, she has never acclimated to militaristic take over of foreign lands. On the contrary, the Chinese have a natural xenophobia. They refer to peoples that are not of Han blood (Han is the pure Chinese ethnicity) as a barbarian. It is one of the reasons why the Chinese never expanded further south nor further north of Inner Mongolia during the classical Ming Dynasty (a pure Chinese Dynasty). The Qing Dynasty, which was the last Imperial Dynasty, did invade and take over Tibet, Parts of Mongolia and Eastern Russia, however this was only manifested because the Qing Dynasty were non-Chinese. The Qing-Emperor was actually from present day Machuria, and were non-Chinese at the time, and were of the Jurchen ethnic origin; alien to the Han people.
I personally believe, from looking at China's cultural and political policies, which were to maintain a control of lands within the Han sphere of influence. The Chinese people are not a aggressive group, and I cannot see them ever taking over parts of Asia as compared to the militaristic passions of say the people of Japan, who have a history of war and conquest as seen in their Bushido code, the Samurai and Shogun history. China, was unlike that. Their court etiquette was always based on political peace and serenity. The use of force was only utilized whenever there was a civil war or if a foreign power invaded what was Han civility and people. Chinese armies never, ever, marched outside of its borders for offensive reasons, rather, it did so on the defensive to protect their own home front. China attracted the obeiscance of lesser kingdoms because of her riches and her goods. Everyone wanted to take part in the riches and unimagined wealth of the Empire of Cathay.
In fact, European Imperialism occured because the people of Europe wanted to establish trades with China and India. Spain, for example, sent the ships of Magellan to travel down the coasts of South America and through the vast Pacific Ocean to find a way to get to China and the Spice Islands. Instead, they ran off course and landed on Cebu and Mactan. We all know what happened afterwards.
In actuality, the Spaniards established and made the Philippines a Royal Colony because of the geographical closeness to China. The calling to : 1. Baptize the heathen natives to the Catholic Christian Faith, 2. Civilize the Natives, 3. Establish port trade with the natives, 4. Establish Chinese trade; were all strong and there.
And even with the arrival of European Imperialists around her, China never went aggressive. China was besieged on all fronts, attacked by the British in the Opium War, by the Italians, the Germans, the Americans in the Boxer Rebellion, by the Russians, and even by their former vassals, the Japanese during the Sino-Japanese War. China suffered almost 100 years of rape and economic devastation from foreign powers before it ever had a revolution that ousted outside powers even then, it was only due to the Japanese Invasion that broke the last straw and drew up a military arm of the Communist Party to ride any and all foreign powers in China. And even after that, the Chinese have always practiced constraint. Never to go abroad nor interfere with matters by taking over another nation-state that was never part of the Chinese Empire of the past.
For the present, I can see China being a regional power in its shear economic volume. It has invested billions throughout south east asia, central asia and even in east asia. It has invested in Africa as well as South and Central America as means of engaging in trade and close political ties. Even their policies of today is similar to their policies of say the 14th and 15th century.
1. Send diplomatic emissaries to establish political relations
2. Establish trade
China has always been naturally a peaceful nation. They were never involved in some kind of human sacrifices, religious wars (The Chinese people are very tolerant and assimilatory if needed be). They are a survivalist people; and will survive wherever they are even as to intermarry with the local population. Look at the Philippines. We have some 2 million pure Chinese, but countless Filipinos of Chinese blood. Same in Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Korea. They blend in by peaceful measures, never by brutal tactics as seen by other foreign powers.
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