Intercultural training in China should not only teach participants how to behave (the famous “dos and don’ts”), but also what makes the Chinese tick: How do they behave in which situation, what are their cultural values and what attitudes do they have towards certain topics. Cultural dimensions such as hierarchical thinking, communication patterns, the importance of relationships and attitudes to time are excellent ways of illustrating these differences and developing appropriate strategies for action.
However, this also includes the self-image of the Chinese, which cannot be easily squeezed into one cultural dimension. For this reason, each of ourintercultural China seminars also includes a short, concise essay on the history of the country.
As everyone knows, China is one of the oldest civilizations in the world and one of the four early advanced civilizations (alongside Egypt, Mesopotamia and India). It is not for nothing that the country is also known as the “Middle Kingdom”, because that is exactly how the Chinese perceive it. In fact, the former emperor of China regarded himself as the ruler of the world. This attitude led to a conflict in the past. In 1793, the British envoy Lord Macartney refused to kowtow to the emperor, i.e. to bow low to the ground in accordance with protocol. The Chinese, who regarded the British as a country subject to tribute, expected this. However, the British lord refused, stating that he could only make such a gesture in front of his king. The desired trade relations therefore did not materialize.
At the time, China was a country in self-isolation, where Europeans could only trade in Canton (now Guangzhou) according to certain rules. This changed in 1842 with the end of the First Opium War. Great Britain had not forgotten its humiliation and now played on its military superiority, which was greatly underestimated by the Chinese. The result was the acquisition of Hong Kong and the opportunity for Britain to export opium to China at will. So after the slave trade, the United Kingdom made a fortune from the drug trade, but that is only by the way.
Until the Second World War, the major European powers and the USA gained increasing influence in the country. Chinese attempts to free themselves from this were nipped in the bud (Boxer Rebellion 1900). What a humiliation for a country that had been a world power for centuries and also saw itself as the center of the world.
After the Second World War, the communists won the civil war and the national Chinese government withdrew to Taiwan. Since then, China has been “divided” into the communist People’s Republic of China and the capitalist Republic of China on Taiwan. Naturally, both sides lay claim to the other.
The People’s Republic remained trapped in the socialist economy until 1979. Since then, the country has opened up and undergone a transformation. The Communist Party naturally remained the sole political factor in power. But the now unleashed economic forces of the world’s most populous country brought China not only prosperity, but also political and military power.
If you combine the self-image of the Chinese, which has been shaped by their long history, with their newly won power and take into account that the Chinese have felt humiliated by the “West” for decades, the result is an explosive mixture. In addition to asserting territorial claims to almost the entire South China Sea (this is primarily about influence, sea routes and raw materials), the constantly repeated demand for the reintegration of the “renegade province” of Taiwan is another logical step in the exploitation of the new position of power.
Taiwan has been under US military protection since the Communists took power in Beijing. So what would happen in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan? Would the USA actively intervene in the conflict on Taiwan’s side and risk a war with China? Or would the US limit itself to merely supporting Taiwan, in which case a Chinese victory would be much more likely? However, this is not just about Taiwan. The other states in the region, from Australia to Japan, would also draw the appropriate conclusions from the US response.
Russia has shown the way – the invasion of Ukraine was just not as successful as Moscow had hoped, on the contrary. Instead of being the shining victor, Russia will emerge weakened from the conflict, regardless of the outcome. A warning for China? Only indirectly, because the situation in East Asia is different.
There is another factor to consider. The interdependence of the global economy now plays a decisive role. If there were to be a war between China and the USA (which some prominent US military leaders are not even ruling out), such a conflict would have fatal consequences for the economy across the globe. Then it would certainly be goodbye to climate protection, now we have to save ourselves first.
A generation ago, a war in East Asia would have been unpleasant, but Europe and the USA would have been able to cope. After all, there was even such a war in Vietnam. Today, it is simply a question of who has less to lose. And when in doubt, a dictatorship like the People’s Republic of China has the advantage. Not that China has nothing to lose, but the political leadership simply has to be less considerate and can also implement drastic measures without being asked.
The great power China on the way to conflict? – Quite possibly, if the idea gains the upper hand in Beijing that the price could be borne. In any case, the ideological and cultural background to such thoughts cannot be dismissed out of hand.
