Abstract
China today is the product of thousands of years of expansion. Much like the Russian and American empires, the Chinese Empire resulted from the ruthless extension of power from a relatively small core over a vast territory. The original inhabitants of those lands were driven away, killed, or assimilated. For much of its history, China dominated East Asia and controlled its contacts with the rest of the world. In the nineteenth century, however, the rise of European power challenged China and, for a relatively brief period – perhaps 100 years – Europeans and subsequently Japanese were able to impose their will on the Chinese people. Beginning with the establishment of the People’s Republic in 1949, China has reasserted itself as a force in world affairs. Its government united the people and gained control over most of the territory the Han and Qing empires had acquired. As China regains its great power status, it can be expected to behave as all great empires have throughout history, resume its place as East Asia’s hegemonic power and extend its influence wherever it can in the rest of the world.
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