China challenges Western 'tribute system' theory in push to control its narrative power
scmp.com
China is now actively contesting a US-forged academic theory about its own ancient diplomacy — and the fight over who defines the framework is itself a power struggle.
Soft Power TheoryHegemonySocial Construction of RealityNarrative Framing
Theory Briefing
- The "tribute system" theory was built by American scholars decades ago to frame both historical and modern Chinese foreign relations.
- China is now pushing back against this Western-originated lens, seeking to control how its own diplomatic traditions are interpreted globally.
- The dispute reveals how academic theories about history can become tools of soft power — whoever defines the framework shapes the narrative.
- China's challenge is part of a broader effort to assert narrative authority over its past and present role in international order.