Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Non-Fiction 2019 | Page 38

China’s Historical Formulation of Hegemony: Analysing
Exceptionalism and ‘Soft Power’ in the Ming Treasure Voyages
for Contemporary Applications
Sha Tin College, Wong, Reese - 15
The Ming Treasure Voyages were a series of seven far-reaching maritime expeditions, spanning from 1405
to 1433. Led by imperial eunuch and admiral Zheng He, the expeditionary voyages travelled to Southeast
Asia, South Asia and - most eminently - as far as the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa. Poised to
circumnavigate the whole world, the voyages marked a period of Chinese exceptionalism. A period in
which China was the indisputable regional hegemon, advancing trade and diplomatic relations with the
‘Known World’. Contemporaneously, a consensus is given such that the voyages’ main functions are seen to
be overwhelmingly political, rather than ‘exploratory’; it allowed the Ming Empire to expand its - already
preponderant - sphere of influence through amalgamations of soft and - less conceded - hard power
approaches. Indeed, one may argue that the comparatively soft-power elements 1 in China’s historical and
contemporary rise to power marks the distinctive Chinese conceptualization of hegemony. This stands in
contrast to the imperialistic approaches of the West - as encapsulated through the ‘discovery of the New
World’ 2 and the modern rise of ‘Pax Britannica’ and by transition in the 20th century, a ‘ Pax Americana ’. =
The pretensions and extent of soft power in the Ming Treasure Voyages will be scrutinised. The
expansionist period and naval pre-eminence of the Ming Dynasty will also be contrasted with the ‘century
of humiliation’, explicating how differentiated approaches to power manifests varying degrees of success in
the East and the West - especially, the drawbacks of sinocentrism against the colonial and comparatively
recent westphalian system.
A contemporary analysis will also be given through the retrospective lens of ‘China’s peaceful rise’ and the
‘China threat theory’, especially relevant considering modern China’s disruption of international polarity and
increasingly expansionist foreign strategy. Unveiled in 2013 by President Xi Jinping, the Chinese-led BRI
(Belt-road Initiative, 一带一路) seeks the revivification of the historical Maritime Silk Road and, by that
token, what some contend to be the formation of a neo-tributary system - both of which were historically
consolidated by the Ming Treasure Voyages. Some further contend the re-ascendency of a Pax Sinica
(Chinese peace). In light of the aforesaid, the Ming Empire, being a historical regional hegemon - one that
basked in a period of - albeit declining - ‘Chinese peace’, lends insight into modern-day China. Both the
BRI and the historical tributary system share vast elements of similitude - the revivification thereof, perhaps.
Both systems - with sinocentrism as a fundament - are shrouded by a quid-pro-quo system that manifests
expansion through soft power and a symbiotic relationship between countries. Alternatively, it can be seen
as self-aggrandizement by means of diplomatic and economic manipulation (sharp power); a comparative
analysis will be conducted in this regard.
On ‘Chinese Exceptionalism’ in the Ming Dynasty
One must first examine the remarkability of the voyages, which stem not only from its far-reaching nature,
but also with its unprecedented fleet consisting of 27000 men 3 , carried in what is purported to be 317 ships 4
- all of this in the first voyage. Most astoundingly, Zheng He’s own nine-masted flagship measured
approximately 400 feet long 5 - the likes of which were hitherto unseen, dwarfing European ships until the
1
“Comparative” due to instances such as the conquest of Yunnan (1381) and the invasion of Vietnam
(1406-07) in the time period of the Ming Empire
2
Although such a claim remains highly scrutinised, with some even contending that Zheng He reached the
Americas before Columbus - this, however, remains largely unsubstantiated and ‘evidence’ remains
suspect.
3
This number was not limited to armed soldiers, instead encompassing men from varying walks of life
such as meteorologists, clerks and sailors.
4
The numerical validity of the fleet remains contested by historians, although the figures range from a
minimum of 42 to a maximum value of 317 ships.
5
The dimensions of such Zheng He’s fleet has been challenged on engineering grounds and source
reliability. However, in 1962, a large rudder post measuring 36 feet long, corresponding to ships 540 to 600
feet in length and 600 years of age.