Pan-Asian Push From China?

Faraday Cage

What if instead of nationalism, the late Imperial/early Republican period in China blossomed Pan-Asian (continental Asian) ideology? I just have an interesting idea of things like alternate Vietnam type wars where a non-communist China is supporting rebellions among the Asian colonies of the West.
 
I have to say, this is an interesting idea, and not that far from OTL. Sun Yat-sen, and indeed KMT ideology, stressed the idea of an Asian cultural sphere, with China helping create a free and just Asian society. Chiang Kai Shek wrote a psuedo-fascist screed along these lines, and for a time there was talk of Japanese influence postwar in Borneo, Thailand, Korea, etc.
 
Late 19th century Chinese revolutionaries and intellectuals were pro-Japan (Sun Yat-sen was a perfect example). Chinese nationalism was not in contradiction to pan Asian ideals or even Japanese nationalism. At the time many prominent Japanese intellectuals sponsored Chinese revolutionaries in the hope of creating a Sino-Japanese alliance to counter Western Imperialism in Asia. As a result Japan played a significant part in the modernization of China.

After China's modernization efforts stumbled, Japanese nationalism became increasingly imperialistic, seeking dominance at the expense of her neighbours. The concept of pan-Asianism eventually became a convenient excuse for war and expansion for Japanese interests.

If 19th century Chinese reforms had succeeded it's entirely possible a Sino-Japanese alliance based on pan Asian ideals could have happened.
 

Faraday Cage

Or imagine a China allied with India when today we've seen what potential both countries have.


Anyways, even with rose-colored glasses allowing for Meiji style rapid modernizations across the board, wouldn't the Asian bloc in the early 20th to mid 20th century end up getting broken on the wheel by the Western Powers? You can keep Japan or China allied with the West but I don't think a Pan-Asian movement sponsored by Japan and China causing rumblings among the colonized peoples of Indochina and India will be met by much love and affection by the West. And as cool as it would be to have a surviving Pan-Asian Bloc, for it to survive it would have to tread lightly in the early years and then hope for a Cold War situation due to nuclear weapons and MAD later on. But with a Cold War buildup would decolonialism still be inevitable or would the challenge of Pan-Asia give the Western powers the incentive to dig in deep in places like Vietnam?
 
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Not sure how far back you'd have to put the PoD. Historically speaking, the Chinese were not overly interested in the outside world. Yes, they did trade with the Romans (I think the Romans might have sent an embassy, but not sure) during the Han Dynasty, and have the Treasure Fleet during the Ming Dynasty. And there was the tributary states in S.E. Asia. But on average, the Chinese think they have the best piece of land and the foreign devils are welcome to the rest.
 

Faraday Cage

With the late 19th century POD, it's tempting to have an alliance of constitutional monarchies in Asia - a new Chinese dynasty (instead of a weak republic to be torn apart by warlords), a non-fascist Japan, and eventually a union of Indian kingdoms.
 
With the late 19th century POD, it's tempting to have an alliance of constitutional monarchies in Asia - a new Chinese dynasty (instead of a weak republic to be torn apart by warlords), a non-fascist Japan, and eventually a union of Indian kingdoms.


Even removing the Indians from the equation that makes for a mighty force and change indeed. Without defeat for Japan in WW2 or the Civil War and wars with Japan in the case of China ... would such a coalition or power take a meek foreign policy or are we going to see Asian economic protections and influence backed by a much more 'forceful' approach? I guess this changes a lot of WW2 scenarios but my first thought was how does this change the Soviet Unions approach to things and for that matter Stalins views and approach to Europe versus Asia?
 

Faraday Cage

Any Soviet or Russian state probably wouldn't like Chinese and Japanese stirring up the Siberian indiginees into rebellion.
 
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