Transformation Of East Asian Regional System Of The Northern Song Dynasty

According to the current cognition and definition of the international system, we believe that a recognizable East Asia regional system had appeared in the vast area of East Asia long before. As a matter of history, it did have its uniqueness which was different from the world capitalistic system that was shaped in the West in terms of nature, organization, or operational mechanism.Northern Song Dynasty was an important watershed period in the course of China's history. With the ups and downs of domestic and geopolitical environment, Northern Song Dynasty began to seek conservative and negative foreign policies compared to positive and consolidate policies previously, which was quite different from the former feudal dynasties. Confronted with an unprecedented complex environment, Northern Song, Liao, and West Xia formed a tripod of powers checking and containing each other, and Northern Song Dynasty had limited advantage within the system. In this case, Northern Song Dynasty had gradually lost its dominant leadership and central position in the regional system. Therefore, the pattern of the Middle Dynasties-centered East Asia regional system was somewhat changed, and the running and maintenance of East Asia regional system was greatly changed. It is uncommon to see an East Asia regional system from establishment to collapse like this.There are two reasons for the changes in the international system. One is the fundamental change in the nature of organization of international system. Once such situation appears, the nature of the system will change accordingly. The other is the change in the three major factors of international system, i.e. power, system and culture. In reality, these factors are closely interlinked. They function more collectively than individually. The change in three factors may lead to the fundamental change of the system itself in certain conditions.The transformation of production means in Northern Song Dynasty mainly refers to the appearance of the factors of capitalist production means, and had yet to reach the level of social nature. So, the core value of the East Asia regional system,"the characteristics of Northern Song Dynasty", did not undergo a fundamental change.Liao Dynasty had become a rising power in the Northern area of East Asia region at that time. Compared with other nations and tribal regime, Northern Song and Liao Dynasty enjoyed an absolute advantage. However, the power pattern of"Middle Dynasties"being the only hegemony began to change. Northern Song and Liao Dynasty, as the two regional powers, began to join hands in influencing the running pattern and behavioral code of the East Asia regional system. And this phenomenon lasted a relatively long period. Its appearance had never been so obvious since the establishment of East Asia regional system, in which the domestic politics and foreign policy of two regional powers jointly dominate the stability and chaos of the region. By then, due to the limited power of the Northern Song Dynasty, the policy of East Asia regional system seems conservative and negative, thus aggravating the imbalance of power within the region, and bringing about the change and transformation in the East Asia regional system.The emperor Tributary System in East Asia regional system determined its order and contributes to the trade relations. Through the analysis of the means, structures and scales of trade among those ethnic minorities of Northern Song, Liao and West Xia Dynasties, we can conclude that the trade relations were complementary, of somewhat protectionism and with political features. Such characteristics of trade relations were by no means without source. They really derived from the strong complementary economies and Northern Song Dynasty's policy that emphasized agriculture but did not restrain businesses, which provided opportunities for the North western nations to import commodities and technology and which enabled an expansion of trade between each other. This trade relation was built on Northern Song Dynasty's cognition of system and system order. From then on, the trade between Northern Song Dynasty and North western minority nations was becoming ever flourishing, which promoted economic development. This needs-based trade reflected an asymmetric interdependence between Northern Song Dynasty and North western minority nations. It was just through its dominant role in such a relation that Northern Song Dynasty made up for the shortness of its military and strategic capabilities in maintaining the system order. Trough controlling the long-term trade stability, the interaction between Northern Song Dynasty and North western nations went on smoothly and steadily. Therefore, the unbalanced pattern of power in East Asia regional system was greatly redressed, which contributed to the regional stability, and to certain extent, set back the trend of any big vicissitudes in the system.By studying cultural elements we found that as an ethnic minority regime, Liao recognized the differentiation between Hua Xia and Man Yi and identified itself as a member of ancient China, and also agreed that the operation mode of Tributary System was a stable state suitable for the East Asia region. In its consistent interaction with the Northern Song Dynasty of ancient China, Liao accepted the Chinese culture, and promoted its own culture. The cultural state constructed by the mentioned two sides in their interactions maintained and carried on the Tributary System culture in the history of the East Asia region. The common identification of international system concept and culture between the two key rising powers, and the continuance of system culture decided that the nature and state of the East Asian regional system would make no essential changes.By respectively studying results of the changing nature of the unit in East Asia region system and the transition of the three major factors in the process of unit interactions, we may conclude that the East Asia regional system of the Northern Song Dynasty period had shown evidence of changes and transitions, but such changes and transitions did not appear for the joint influence of the three major factors. Thus the East Asia regional system maintained its historical development track and reached its summit in the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty periods.Based on the present research we conclude that when investigating issues related to international system transitions, we should consider the change of the nature of the unit as well as the joint influence of the three major factors, instead of simply attributing all changes to the transition of the international system.