ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews rupture, return, and recombination as three lenses through which to view China’s rise, and analyzes in general terms China’s civilizational identities and processes. It examines more specifically the cultural, economic, and security aspects of China’s rise, and discusses recombination in terms of Sinicization. Often referred to in China as revival or rejuvenation, China’s rise and processes of Sinicization are best analyzed with an understanding of the concept of power that includes all of its dimensions. Recombination rather than return or rupture is the concept that best captures the cultural dimension of China’s rise. A relative absence of China’s social power makes recombination rather than rupture or return the concept that best captures China’s cultural rise. Sinicization processes are constituted by historical and spontaneous interactions of individuals, societies, and states, with each intentionally and unintentionally affecting the other. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
