Chinese exceptionalism () is the belief that China is either distinctive, unique, or exemplary compared to other nations. Clarissa Tan described Zhang Weiwei and Eric X. Li as Chinese exceptionalists who argue that the China model is the right path for China, a civilization state. According to Tan, this view has become increasingly popular. The

Chinese government The government of the People's Republic of China is based on a system of people's congress within the parameters of a Unitary state, unitary communist state, in which the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) enacts its policies through people's ...

has recruited Chinese exceptionalism into its notion of a " peaceful rise." According to John M. Friend and Bradley A. Thayer, within Han nationalist narrative,

Han culture The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...

is considered to be the authentic character of the Chinese nation; to deviate from the Han identity will only tarnish Chinese exceptionalism and impede China's rise. According to the abstract of a 2013 book chapter by Feng Zhang, "Although exceptionalism is an important dimension of China's foreign policy, it has not been a subject of serious scholarly research. This chapter examines the manifestations and sources of contemporary Chinese exceptionalism and explains its implications for foreign policy. Chinese exceptionalism is defined by

great power A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power ...

reformism Reformism is a political tendency advocating the reform of an existing system or institution – often a political or religious establishment – as opposed to its abolition and replacement via revolution. Within the socialist movement, ref ...

, benevolent

pacifism Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ...

, and harmonious inclusionism. While resting on an important factual basis, it is constructed by mixing facts with myths through selective use of China's vast

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

and

cultural Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

experiences. Exceptionalism does not determine policy, but by being an essential part of the

worldview A worldview (also world-view) or is said to be the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing the whole of the individual's or society's knowledge, culture, and Perspective (cognitive), point of view. However, whe ...

of the

and many intellectuals, it can become an important source for policy ideas. It can also be viewed as a normative theory for China's foreign policy, as one among six major schools competing for ideational influence in China's foreign policy formation." In advocating for a form of Chinese exceptionalism for the country's development, Chinese leader

Xi Jinping Xi Jinping, pronounced (born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has been the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China), chairman of the Central Military Commission ...

states, "China's unique cultural tradition, unique historic fate, and unique national conditions have determined that China must follow the road of development that fits Chinese characteristics." In this view, because every country is exceptional in its own way, each should choose its own model, including the possibility of taking inspiration from the Chinese model as an alternative to

liberal democracy Liberal democracy, also called Western-style democracy, or substantive democracy, is a form of government that combines the organization of a democracy with ideas of liberalism, liberal political philosophy. Common elements within a liberal dem ...

References

{{Exceptionalism Exceptionalism Chinese nationalism Politics of China Chinese foreign policy

See also

References