Why do we refer to that vast expanse and culturally diverse land simply as “China”? Each region is so distinct, with its cultural, tribal and religious nuances and, as we see in the news, bloody clashes. I know nothing about China, but it seems that describing China without at least specifying a region is a little like trying to describe all of the Americas in one thought. And we know that there is no unifying generality that applies to all of the Americas.

We need to understand China, because in this world it is hard to be so ignorant of 1 billion people.