Thursday, April 19, 2007

How Far is the Emperor?

I always like it when Strategypage addresses a topic I've raised.

China as a geographic description and not a political entity is one:

One of the major concerns is the tendency of Chinese provinces to go their own way. This is better appreciated if you remember that China has more than twice as many people as Europe, and is not as culturally monolithic as Westerners think. While there is a common pictographic language throughout the country, there are many different languages and dialects. And with those differences in language, come differences in customs, allegiances and, most importantly, geography. For thousands of years, those differences have constantly worked against those who would try to rule a united China.


Remember that China may not be a unified state in the future. This is a wild card for all those projections into the future.

We could have both friends and foes in China as a geographic description.