ABSTRACT

Chinese, Europeans, and others, possess “mental maps” giving them orientation in the political and societal world around them – cognitive maps which have been imprinted upon their consciousness during the twentieth century. Now, however, we observe changes in the world so dramatic that we need to ask ourselves whether we still have the right maps in our minds or whether the ones we still use might not mislead us when we try to find our way ahead. China is a perfect example – now having an impact unimaginable only a decade ago and impacting the global system in ways we are yet to fully understand. Several new features characterize our world today.