Money Talks

In the most basic sense, the clash between America and China stems from the fact that one has an expectation and goal that is outlandish and senseless, while the other has an expectation and goal that is quite realistic and is largely grounded in reality itself. There is indeed a “Greater China” that must be reckoned with. How China perceives and sees itself actually matters to U.S.-Chinese relations. As Samuel Huntington wrote: “China historically conceived itself as encompassing: a ‘Sinic Zone’ including Korea, Vietnam, the Liu Chiu Islands, and at times Japan; an ‘Inner Asian Zone’ of non-Chinese Manchus, Mongols, Uighurs, Turks, and Tibetans, who had to be controlled for security reasons; and then an ‘Outer Zone’ of barbarians, who were nonetheless ‘expected to pay tribute and acknowledge China’s superiority.’” He added:

“Contemporary Sinic civilization is becoming structured in a similar fashion: the central core of Han China, outlying provinces that are part of China but possess considerable autonomy, provinces legally part of China but heavily populated by non-Chinese people from other civilizations (Tibet, Xinjiang), Chinese societies which will or are likely to become part of Beijing-centered China on defined conditions (Hong Kong, Taiwan), one predominantly Chinese state increasingly oriented towards Beijing (Singapore), highly influential Chinese populations in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and non-Chinese societies (North and South Korea, Vietnam) which nonetheless share much of China’s Confucian culture.”

The aforementioned are the broader outlines and parameters of what can be conceived as or perceived as the “Greater China” which Beijing seeks to bring under its domination and influence. After the Cold War ended, and after China no longer needed to focus mainly on balancing one major power off the other, Huntington argued that China set two basic goals for itself, namely: “to become the champion of Chinese culture, the core state civilizational magnet toward which all other Chinese communities would orient themselves, and to resume its historical position, which it lost in the nineteenth century, as the hegemonic power in East Asia.” 

China is the “core state” in East Asia to which all other East Asian states should “orient themselves” towards. To borrow from Huntington: “’Greater China’ is thus not simply an abstract concept. It is a rapidly growing cultural and economic reality and has begun to become a political one.” Hence, the concept of a “Greater China” is actually grounded in political and social reality. Moreover, the Chinese and the Chinese diaspora are at the center of economic development and growth throughout the East Asia region. Hence, through the Chinese diaspora and their dominance over the economies of the smaller countries in East Asia, the entirety of East Asia is interlinked with the Chinese mainland one way or another. Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore have also gravitated towards China to a significant degree and extent. Throughout the region, it became ever more noticeable that: “Businessmen and other leaders became reluctant to criticize China or to do things that might offend China.” 

Hong Kong has already been integrated with the Chinese mainland. And it is likely that “through coercion, accommodation, or most likely a mixture of both Taiwan will become more closely integrated with mainland China.” At one point, many of these smaller “Asian Tigers” – including Singapore – were “contemptuous of Chinese backwardness.” As a result, many of these “Asian Tigers” oriented themselves towards the West. But as Chinese economic development took off beginning in the 1980’s, these smaller Asian tigers began to reorient themselves towards China “in classic bandwagoning fashion.” According to one of the leaders of these smaller Asian tigers, China “is where the action is.” Huntington also quipped that the same leader insisted on talking to Chinese leaders in English in the 1970’s, but after China’s dramatic economic takeoff beginning in 1979, it is unlikely that he ever did so again. Money talks.