Pax Sinica

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Pax Sinica (Latin for "Chinese Peace") is the time of peace in East Asia, maintained by Chinese hegemony, usually the period of rule by the Han Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, early Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. These periods were characterised by the dominance of the Chinese civilization in East Asia due to its political, economic, military and cultural power.

In the Imperial period, China was basically inward looking rather than expansionist, only requiring tributary recognition for the most part from its smaller and less advanced neighbors. Chinese civilization expanded very gradually from its ancient centers by a slow process of sinification which assimilated diverse ethnic groups into the emerging Han majority.

In international relations theory since the 1990s, noting the increasing power of the People's Republic of China, some believe there will be a Pax Sinica in the twenty-first century.^{[citation needed]} Others believe that the opposite will happen and that the rise of Chinese power will encourage conflict rather than peace, due to the authoritarian government of China, or that the increase of Chinese power will not be enough to bring Chinese hegemony.^{[citation needed]} Some have also theorized that China's increasing dependency on oil will bring conflict with Western Industrialized countries, particularly the United States, over Central Asian oil fields.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] See also

• China
• China as an emerging superpower
• Chinese Century
• Chinese imperialism
• List of tributaries of Imperial China
• Pax Americana
• Pax Britannica
• Pax Europeana
• Pax Mongolica
• Pax Romana
• Pax Ottomana
• Pax Hispanica
• Pax Minoica

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