EAST ASIA BEFORE THE WEST Contemporary sia nthe World ive Centuries of Trade and Tribute Davia ©. Kang and Vielor Cha, Raitors DAVID C. KANG Harmony end Wr Confcian Culture and Chinese Power Politics, Yoan-Kang Wang 2011 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS NewlinKang, David C. (David Chan-oong), 1965- Bast Asi before the west five centuries f trade a ‘= (Contemporary Asa in the wood) «bibliographical ferences and index paper) ~ 88x g78--231-526746 (book) ry. & Hast Asia—Foreignreltions. 3. East U. Ses te Dovid C. Kang ue3820 5436 010 s7.seono3—de22 1008585, {he manuseript was prepared, For Emily Yejin Kang24 IDEAS: MVERARCIIY, STATUS, AND HEGEMONY ‘of norms—a social order—that secondary states fnd legitimate. Hegem social system, Legitimacy itself is distinct from material power, and ey grows out of the social purpose jportant in helping us eategor different patterns of international relations found in early 1 recognition by other states-~as thus ey value material power. Although defining international systems as hierarchic instead of purely ay seem a departure from accepted practice, this theoretical lens t questions. What are the rules of the game (that is, srarchy)? Are states satisfied with their jionst)? How do states change their focuses us on import upon what do we measure the status {status quo or re standings? And finally, when is confict most likely to occur? 3 STATES The Confucian Society Now think Truly ‘As mountains and rivers make for various lands, So our Southesn ways must differ fram the North f minister of Le Loi, 1428 on this Dai Viet land of ours ‘cultured nation (Ban —Neuven Tha, Es Asta has perhaps the longest history of eentr the world, defined as states thet established po! tenitory. China as hegemon—and its main philosophy, Confucianism —had 4 powerful effect on the rest of East Asian domestic and international politics, even while what it meant to be Chinese and how best to organize society and government was continually modified and debated within China itself. Chi- nese civilization in the region was inescapable, and mos states a were forced to deal wi influenced state formation and societal practices, from language and religion ‘o political institutions and economic activity China lacked a mi of transforming tl aged to craft remarkably stable relations with many—but not all —of its sur rounding neighbors. That is, China had little interest in actively exporting its own ideals and values, preferring instead to focus on the practice of for ign relations. This allowed the surrounding peoples and polities to contest modify, and adapt Chinese ideas to their own ends. Some states, such as Korea and Vietnamn, closely copied China in a range of practices. Others, such as Japan, experimented with some butt not all Chinese ideas, Sill China in one way or another. Domestical world, yet it man: societies—such asthe diverse se ern frontiers—resisted almost all of Cl they sill interacted with China, occasionally ideas in their foreign relations ing Chinese practices and