If we understand an empire like ancient Rome as a conquest system comprising a sovereign power and the territories it has conquered, then China has never been an empire.
DeepChina is an elite academic initiative that offers objective and rational analyses on a broad spectrum of topics related to China, encompassing politics, economics, culture, human rights, diplomacy, and geopolitics.
If one carefully observes the English reports featured in Chinese media, one will notice a growing trend in the usage of "Xizang" in pinyin instead of the previously prevalent term "Tibet" to refer to the same region in Southwest China. Can these two terms be used interchangeably? How did the English term "Tibet" originate? What does the Chinese term "西藏"(Xizang) signify?
Continue readingAfter many years living in several countries in different continents, we can say that China is the one we feel most at home of all, no matter how far away could it be from our home country.
Continue readingThe reason why people were considered important is that they were, and have always been, the primary condition for a country's existence.
Continue readingMatteo Ricci noted that the Chinese people never thought of waging a war of aggression despite having a well-equipped army and navy capable of easily conquering neighboring countries.
Continue readingAs one of the world's crucial bilateral relationships, China-U.S. relations are at a critical crossroads. Will they turn in the right direction? What can we expect?
Continue readingBorder Tea Trade, a commercial activity whereby the dynastic states in the central plains traded tea with nomadic ethnic groups in Northern grassland and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for horses and other commodities, can date back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279). It runs through every stage of Chinese history. In the thousand-year-long history of Border Tea Trade, all ethnic groups are proactively involved, in the production, processing, shipment and sales of Border Tea.
Continue readingSince first arriving in China at the end of August 2005, I have been to 31 provinces. Although I have been to some many times, my just completed trip to Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region was the first time I was able to go there. Unfortunately, other commitments prevented me from accepting three previous invitations, so I was extremely excited when I first had an opportunity to take a trip to Xinjiang as a foreign expert working at Minzu University of China (hereinafter Minda), at the end of August of 2022.
Continue readingIn ancient times, continental Europe and China were roughly the same in land area. However, they took different approaches to governance, with the former divided into multiple small countries while the latter becoming a unified multi-ethnic nation. This difference may be attributed to their respective geographical conditions, economic structures, political systems, and cultural inheritance.
Continue readingToday, in the 21st century, hunger, poverty, conflicts, and environmental pollution persist while the development gap continues to widen. Many countries still face practical challenges like insufficient development momentum, relatively low overall development performance, and outdated infrastructure, which challenge the development of human rights and global human rights governance. Since China put forward the Belt and Road Initiative, there have been many rational and constructive comments from international public opinion. However, some skeptical voices should not be ignored. Whether it is a cooperative development or a "debt trap", we need to base ourselves on facts.
Continue readingThe right to life and the right to economic development are first and foremost in China's human rights development philosophy. In the rights and interests of laborers, individual job preferences, remuneration, rest and leave, and occupational safety and sanitation are respected and guaranteed. This is one of the essential manifestations of human rights protection in China. This paper looks at the protection of labor rights in the development of Xinjiang from the perspective of the cotton production process and industrial development.
Continue readingDignity, consensus, and inclusiveness are the three core keywords of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind proposed by China has been included in more than 10 resolutions of the United Nations Human Rights Council; The Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative systematically elaborate on the human rights development concept of promoting human rights through development, safeguarding human rights through security, and advancing human rights through cooperation, which is in accord with the spirit of the Declaration and provides effective solutions for the global human rights governance.
Continue readingXinjiang has historically been an area where various ethnic groups of the Chinese nation have lived together, many cultures have communicated with each other, and different religions have coexisted since ancient times. The Uygur ethnic group, with long time migration and integration on this land, has become one of the main ethnic groups in Xinjiang, and the majority of its ancestors are the Ouigours in Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907) in China.
Continue readingWorld China Studies expands the breadth of traditional China studies and becomes an effective path for China to communicate with the world. The theme of The World Conference on China Studies - Shanghai Forum is "Chinese Civilization and China's Path -- A Global Perspective". More than 400 global scholars and experts gathered to share their thoughts and understandings on China studies, as well as Chinese civilization and Chinese modernization.
Continue readingRegional ethnic autonomy is the fundamental political system for addressing domestic ethnic issues in contemporary China. How does China's system of regional ethnic autonomy differ from Europe's "autonomy of nationality"? Where does the innovation lie within China's system? And how does it align with the history and reality of the community of Chinese nation? This article is to explore these questions.
Continue readingChinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech on Wednesday at Welcome Dinner by Friendly Organizations in the United States in San Francisco, telling six stories between China and the United States.
Continue reading"Domestic politics have an outsized effect on US-China relations, but we should learn to handle them better and not let extreme voices overwhelm the right policy approaches," said Susan A. Thornton in an interview with DeepChina about China-US relations.
Continue readingSome western countries have repeatedly fabricated the so-called "forced assimilation" to maliciously tarnish China's image. In fact, in recent decades, the increasingly comprehensive education system has been the epitome of the protection of human rights and cultural traditions. "Forced assimilation" is thereby nothing but a baseless slander.
Continue readingThe sixth of The China International Import Expo (CIIE), which lasted from November 5 to 10, has attracted 3,400 exhibitors and 394,000 professional visitors who have registered, from 154 countries, regions and international organizations according to data. Officials, entrepreneurs and scholars from all over the world focus on the CIIE. Here we list the latest comments from experts and elites, which may help answering the following questions.
Continue readingChinese civilization is a unique "Tianxia (All Under Heaven) civilization" pattern. This pattern, together with other cultural genes like ritualism, ancestral worship, sincerity, benevolence, and coexistence of all in harmony, is the fundamental reason for the continuous development of Chinese civilization to this day.
Continue readingIn any society, it is biased to treat human rights issues in isolation from history, culture and civilization. To understand China's view of human rights, we must put it in the context of the 5000-year history of Chinese civilization.
Continue readingChinese culture has a long-standing condition of inclusiveness, with a commitment to finding common ground whilst accommodating differences. Within Chinese religions, there’s also a notable emphasis on facilitating harmonious co-existence. Islamic culture has acquired distinctive Chinese characteristics through sinicization and intermingling with Confucianism. Chinese Muslims apply oriental wisdom to understand, interpret and express their faith. Transcending the traditional dichotomy in western culture, oriental wisdom emphasizes tolerance, harmony and unity of man and nature. All these ideas and practices have, to varying degrees, promoted the exchange and mutual learning among civilizations.
Continue readingChinese civilization is famous for its openness and inclusiveness since ancient times. Through exchanges with other civilizations, the Chinese civilization has contributed to the world a profound system of thoughts, a wide range of technological, cultural and artistic achievements, and unique institutional creations, thereby deeply influencing the development of the world's civilizations. Recently, DeepChina has interviewed Mr. Xu Xianlong, a professor from South Central Minzu University, and discussed why and how Chinese civilization can become open and inclusive in all cultures.
Continue readingChinese civilization, among the world's four ancient civilizations, flows on till today. The everlasting inner cohesion of Chinese civilization comes from the Chinese written character system, Confucianism, the traditional economic system and the Chinese nation. Furthermore, the inclusiveness of Chinese civilization eventually plays a decisive role in China’s journey towards a modern nation-state.
Continue readingSmooth yet tensile. Versatile and durable. With these qualities, Xuan paper is known as the "Paper of Ages".
Continue readingDelicate, lustrous, and soft to the touch. The ethereal fabric that we now call silk has threaded its way throughout China's history.
Continue readingA leaf fell into the water and changed the taste of it. Henceforth, tea was born. China is known as the home of tea. Since ancient times, tea has penetrated Chinese culture, leaving its aroma in poetry, etiquette and customs.
Continue readingWandering sounds, irregular rhythms and a carrier of gentle emotions. This is the musical language of guqin, a plucked seven string instrument created in ancient China.
Continue readingDelicate strokes, carved onto wood, with ultimate precision. This is woodblock printing, an ancient printing technique that propelled human civilization.
Continue readingNature has been a source of inspiration for artists from past to present. When comparing traditional Chinese and Western landscape art, we can detect differences in perspective, the use of color, composition, and so forth.
Continue readingPortraiture has a long history in both East and West. These works are like time capsules, revealing the preoccupations of its subjects in different centuries, and the way in which they lived. In the third episode of "East Meets West," a four-part art series produced by CGTN, we look at portraits from various periods and cultures. The Tsinghua University Art Museum in Beijing houses a rich collection of old artworks, including some Qing Dynasty portraits completed hundreds of years ago.
Continue readingChinese woodblock prints can be traced back to ancient times and are believed to have influenced Japanese ukiyo-e print works, known as "pictures of the floating world." In the last episode of "East Meets West," a four-part art series produced by CGTN, we reveal some of the untold stories of this traditional art and learn how Chinese woodcuts played a prominent role in the nexus of Eastern and Western art. The art of printing developed in China as early as the eighth century, and historical records indicate the earliest use of woodblock illustrations was for religious texts.
Continue readingFrom antiquity to modern times, paintings of animals have played an important role in art history. Many animals, including cats and horses, have made their way into some of the world’s most famous works. Even tiny creatures like grasshoppers and crickets have captured the hearts and minds of artists. In the second episode of "East Meets West," a four-part art series produced by CGTN, we journey into the world of animal art and decipher their symbolic meanings. Insects are a common subject in both Chinese and Western paintings, yet they are often imbued with different meanings or connotations....
Continue readingLocated along the banks of Kucha River of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Subash Buddhist Ruins are the remnants of the largest cluster of Buddhist buildings in Xinjiang that were established in the 3rd century, and reached a peak during the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties.
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