Was China a superpower in ancient times?
China is a civilization. There were five superpowers during the Spring and Autumn period. After Qin Shi Huang unified China, there was no need for a superpower anymore. China adopted Confucius’ idea that does not rule by a superpower.
European civilization dominated the world today. The world is very similar to the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. That is, within the civilization, there must be a superpower. That’s the reason why the world continues with wars.
China, on the other hand, gave up the idea of superpower. As a result, China had no war when it was unified. China is at peace when it was unified, and at war when it was split.
Chinese dynasty is not a western empire. An empire is a superpower that rules other countries. A dynasty is one civilization without national countries within.
Confucius called the mode that our world is run today 霸道, or run by a superpower in Spring and Autumn period. Confucius called the mode of a world that is run by proper governance without superpower the 王道. Xi promotes a Shared Future for Mankind, and it is a proper government or 王道. It is a vision of a world without a superpower, just like China in the last two thousand years.
China has never been a superpower, and will not be forever. In Confucius's civilization, the superpower is bad and should not be implemented. Because the West never had the idea of 王道, the west is skeptical of China's rising. West is afraid China becomes a superpower. West cannot imagine a strong country without being a superpower. This is a cultural misunderstanding.
China knows what is superpower during the Spring and Autumn period. China has discarded the notion of a superpower for two thousand years already.
