Pax Sinica

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. During these periods, China maintained the dominant civilization in the region, due to its political, economic, military and cultural power.

Other historical terms that start with Pax, modelled on Pax Romana, refer to a single time period but Pax Sinica is an exception.

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

Bibliography

• KIM, S.S, China's Pacific Policy: Reconciling the Irreconcilable, International Journal, 1994.
• TERMINSKI, Bogumil, (2010), The Evolution of the Concept of Perpetual Peace in the History of Political-Legal Thought, Perspectivas Internacionales, vol. 10: 277-291.
• YEOH, Kok Kheng, (2009), Towards Pax Sinica?: China's rise and transformation : impacts and implications, University of Malaya.
• ZHANG, Yongjin, (2001), System, empire and state in Chinese international relations, Review of International Studies, vol. 27: 43-63.

See also

• China
• Chinese Century
• Chinese imperialism
• List of tributaries of Imperial China