An interesting post at The Globalist says, “Many regard China’s economic powerhouse as a new phenomenon. But a thousand years ago, Chinese merchants ruled the seas of Asia.”
The post goes on to point out how China’s Song Dynasty promoted international trade and that Chinese merchants expanded foreign trade rapidly but with Chinese government control over trade as in China today.
The Song Dynasty also kept a close watch on exports as in China today.
The Globalist said, “Even 1000 years ago, China’s government kept a close eye on trade. If a ship was blown off course, its captain had to report it promptly (on his return to China) — and produce evidence.”
In fact, Merchants from all over the world came to China at that time just as they are doing today.
Therefore, it should be no surprise when The Economist says, “China’s overreaction to a Japanese ‘provocation’ has set its regional diplomacy back years. … China sneezes, Asia shivers.”
I don’t believe China cares if diplomacy suffered. China is more concerned with not letting anyone step on its toes again.
When I say that, I’m talking about the Opium Wars then Western domination of China’s politics for close to a century before World War II when Japan invaded and killed about 30 million Chinese.
If we are to believe Marco Polo (1254 – 1324), who said China could have conquered the world, then we should also breathe a sigh of relief that China didn’t want to do that then when it could have and still doesn’t.
However, China’s desires to control events that affect China have not changed. Japan sneezed and China roared back. It’s all about harmony—in China.
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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of the concubine saga, My Splendid Concubine & Our Hart. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too.
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Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse 
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