ABSTRACT
The concept of the Indo-Pacific remains highly contested, especially by China. Exploring these understandings, and their contestation, this chapter explores China’s historical interaction with the region through the lens of a traditional “Chinese World Order”. In particular, it emphasises key features including Sino-centrism, hierarchy, culture and the tributary system. It then synthesises these features, through a range of different approaches, to produce an overarching understanding of China’s interaction and attitude towards the region over the last 2,000 years. From this basis, the Chapter explores current Chinese understandings of “its” region, in particular focusing on the contemporary approach and policies of President Xi Jinping. Overall, it challenges readers to consider how China’s conception of the Indo-Pacific contrasts with alternative approaches held across the region, as explored in other Chapters of this handbook. Throughout the chapter, readers will thus be presented with conflicting but equally compelling perspectives, in order to encourage them to evaluate and analyse which factors they find to be most convincing concerning region formation. Readers will also be able to draw conclusions about the possible future of the Indo-Pacific and identify various points of contest between China and the Indo-Pacific.
