Sinosphere

Sinosphere (also called Chinese world or Chinese cultural sphere Chinese name: 中華文化圈 Zhonghua wenhua quan; or Chinese character cultural sphere Chinese or Japanese: 漢字文化圏; Hanzi wenhua quan in Chinese and kanji bunkaken in Japanese) is a grouping of countries and regions that are currently inhabited with a significant number of people of Chinese descents or historically under Chinese cultural influence. James C. Bennett, founder of The Anglosphere Institute, sees it as a network commonwealth between Chinese people around the world. ^* Bennett envisages the Sinosphere is consisting of China, and its overseas Chinese in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, and to some extent, Singapore. One of the main unifying links is based the Chinese language.

In East Asian commentator circles, the term Chinese cultural sphere or Chinese character cultural sphere is used interchangeably for Sinosphere but covering a broader definition. Chinese cultural sphere denotes a grouping of countries, regions, and people with Chinese cultural legacies. This includes the Sinosphere under the Bennett definition plus countries that have extensive Chinese cultural heritage or are with significant Chinese populations in modern times, including Japan, Korea (North and South), Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore.In French language the term le monde chinois (Chinese world) is the term employed for this concept.

Modern Origins: 1990s

The concept of Sinosphere, as a network commonwealth, predated the popularization of the modern idea of Anglosphere (Chinese 英語文化圈 English language cultural sphere) in the English-speaking world, and developed largely independent of the Anglosphere. In the early post-Cold War period of the 1990s, economic reforms in mainland China, coupled with recognition of the People's Republic of China as a rival government from the part of the Republic of China (Taiwan), increased economic and cultural exchanges between China and overseas Chinese itself, led to emergence of the concept of a network of Chinese people that transcend traditional national borders, political differences, and geographical distances.

Later on, this definition was broadened to include East Asian countries that had historical heritage influenced by China, countries such as Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Vietnam have increased their economic and cultural contacts with the Chinese-speaking communities in both breadth and scope.

Sometimes in East Asia the term Sinosphere is used to imply the concept of East Asian integration.

Defining characteristics

Bennett considers the Sinosphere is unified by first language ability in Chinese. Asian commentators define the unifying factor as influence of traditional Chinese cultural beliefs, marked by Confucianism, Taoism, and the Chinese influenced Buddhism, and the use of Chinese characters as a major part of writing system (Hanzi in Chinese, kanji in Japanese, hanja in Korean, and Hán tự in Vietnamese).

Current Developments

The concept of Sinosphere seemed to undergo a setback with the Asian financial crisis and the advent of the dotcom economies in 1997 and 1998. However, with China's membership in the WTO and continuing economic development there are some repopularizations of the use of the term Sinosphere.

The development of the Anglosphere provides an interesting contrast. The idea of a network commonwealth is common to both Sinosphere and Anglosphere, but the two visions were developed independently from each other. As of the first decade of the 21st century, the concept of the Anglosphere remains at large invisible among Asian commentators supportive of the Sinosphere. Among the few who have heard the concept, the common response is either derision or fear. Those who regard the Anglosphere with scorn take the route that regionalist consolidations will triumph over cultural affinities that are separated by geographical distances, and the Sinosphere is more consolidated on a geographical sense than the more dispersed Anglosphere, and also because they regard China's economic might will overtake the Anglosphere in the not too distant future. Detractors who see the Anglosphere as a threat to the Sinosphere regard the Anglosphere as a concept of Anglo-Saxon imperialism and haegemony, and translate the term into Chinese as 盎格魯共榮圈 (literally Anglo-Saxon Co-Prosperity Sphere^*) in an attempt to evoke the memory over the historical Japanese concept of Great East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere (Chinese 大東亞共榮圈) during the World War II period. Some other commentators point out India is an Anglosphere member and it has the potential to overtake China in economic developments. Some also see the Anglosphere's flexible nature and civil society base as points of strengths that the Sinosphre lack and which will guarantee it will pose a serious competition against the Sinosphere.

Currently Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan are contested by both Anglosphere and Sinosphere proponents as under each respective sphere of influence. Singapore has 76% Chinese majority but its governmental, legal and business practice are more akin to English-speaking countries courtesy of its British colonial past. Hong Kong's position is similar to Singapore but its population is 98% Chinese and in Hong Kong, Chinese rather than English is commonly used as the daily communication medium. Japan has had ancient Chinese influence ever since the Taika Reform period, however, the Anglosphere has displaced China in influence from the time of Commodore Matthew Perry's visit in 1853.

References

^* Developments, Exchanges, and Conflicts Between Eastern and Western Civilizations, Professor Lin Binye, East China Normal University, delivered 20 February 2002 at North Point Teachers Centre, Hong Kong (primary source material for the History and Culture subject curriculum developments, Education and Manpower Bureau, Hong Kong Special Admkinistrative Region Government) (in Chinese)

^* Chinese Cultural Sphere and the Use of Chinese Characters, Zhe Shiya, Lianhe Zaobao, 24 June 2004, Singapore (in Chinese)

^* Export of Chinese Culture and Balance of Power in the World, Shinfeng, People's Daily, 28 March 2006, Beijing (in Chinese)

Modern Origins: 1990s

Defining characteristics

Current Developments

See also

References

Further reading

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Sinosphere

Modern Origins: 1990s

Defining characteristics

Current Developments

See also

References

Further reading