America as Tianxia Middle Kingdom

The National Bureau of Asian Research has published an interesting report: 'China's Vision for a New World Order' (2020). One of the Chinese philosophers discussed in the report wants to see a revival of China's ancient "Tianxia" (天下) tribute system. Interestingly, this philosopher argues that America is currently operating a global version of the system ancient China struggled to maintain regionally.

"Yuen Foong Khong argues that American hegemony is a contemporary form of tianxia: as the epicenter of a network of alliances, the United States offers its allies and partners (similar to tributaries) protection and access to its markets in return for their recognition of the United States as the hegemon and their emulation of its political ideas and norms... Xi Jinping has come close to candidly framing his vision for a new world order under China's helm as a 21st-century version of the tianxia model... he has repeated his wish to see the world come together in harmony as one family under the same heaven (shijie datong tianxia yijia). Xi usually associates this imagery with his vision for the building of a community of common destiny (renlei mingyun gongtongti), now translated in official Chinese documents as a 'community with a shared future for mankind' (or for humanity)."

I'm hesitant to start thinking in this way because it suggests a reinterpretation of globalization through a Chinese lens, and that's exactly what the Chinese government wants. However, I think it's an interesting insight into the way many Chinese see America as having built a world system around itself in a mere 250 years that China never managed to truly build-out in 3,000 years.

It's also interesting to think about Christianity in this. It seems to me that, in many ways, Christianity has already forced itself into every cultural and philosophical system on earth. Even the atheistic Chinese Communist Party must justify it's existence by "serving the people" because Jesus said the leader should be the "servant of all."

The contemporary Church, however, is incredibly weak as an institution. It's in no position to dictate terms. We need to rebuild the Church institutionally and try to escape this vortex of Protestant individualism and disintegration. The Church should be the middle kingdom, but it's currently just imploding in the midst of a 500 year civil war.