Sinocentrism

Sinocentrism is a worldview that places China at the center of the world and regards its civilization and political order as preeminent.

Tributary system of China: A framework of East Asian diplomacy in which foreign rulers offered tribute and received recognition, trade access, and court honors. Its rituals expressed the hierarchy that Sinocentrism placed at the center of regional relations.
Tianxia: A Chinese concept meaning “all under heaven,” used for the world understood as a political and moral order. It provided a broad cosmological frame for imagining China-centered order.
Westphalian sovereignty: The principle that states possess supreme authority within their territories and are legally independent of one another. It contrasts with hierarchical relations that assigned unequal standing to China and neighboring polities.
Kowtow: A ritual of kneeling and touching the forehead to the ground, used in imperial China to show deference. Foreign envoys' performance of the ritual became a flashpoint over diplomatic equality.
Sinocentrism in historiography: The tendency to interpret history from a China-centered perspective or treat Chinese experiences as the primary standard. The term also names a bias historians examine in accounts of East Asian history.
Chinese world order: A historical East Asian order organized around the Chinese emperor and unequal relations among neighboring states. It describes the wider political system shaped by Sinocentric assumptions.
Zhou dynasty: A Chinese dynasty conventionally dated from about 1046 to 256 BCE, associated with influential political and philosophical traditions. The Zhou political legacy helped shape later ideas of legitimate rule and civilized authority.
European colonialism: The establishment and rule of overseas territories by European states, especially from the fifteenth century onward. Both systems asserted civilizational hierarchy, but European colonialism often relied on territorial conquest and direct rule.
Macartney Embassy: The British diplomatic mission to the Qing court led by George Macartney in 1793. Its dispute over court ritual and diplomatic protocol revealed incompatible political expectations.
Chinese nationalism: A political identity and movement emphasizing China's unity, sovereignty, and national interests. Modern national narratives can recast older civilizational centrality as a claim to renewed global standing.

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