Some Observations on China's Promotion of Confucianism

Abstract

In the aftermath of the Cold War, China has faced significant challenges to its powerbase, both conventional and unconventional. While the former arose as a result of the unipolar system created by US hegemony, the latter stems from a phenomenon commonly referred to as the ‘China threat theory’. That is, China has been portrayed as an aggressive threat rather than a valuable emerging voice and great power. Constrained by both these challenges, Beijing has begun to promote he-based neo-Confucianism through the establishment of Confucian Institutes (CIs) abroad. With the use of unconventional means, the Chinese government is extending its ‘soft power’ in order to gain acknowledgement of its status as an emerging great power interested and capable of supporting global peace.