The darker side of Tianxia (All-under-heaven): decoloniality, imperial histories and China’s internationalisation of higher education

In recent years, the Chinese historical concept of tianxia has been increasingly invoked in discussions of global higher education. Often presented as a decolonialist critique of the Euro-American dominated world order, tianxia is portrayed as an alternative, or even superior, worldview that contains distinctive advantages in discussing global higher education. This article argues that such interpretations tend to overlook the imperialist implications of the concept, both historically and in contemporary contexts, particularly the ways in which it has been mobilised to justify China’s expansion and assimilation; and to legitimise a China-centred regional or world order. Building on this critical reflection, this article contends that the resurgent use of tianxia in both Chinese official discourse and academic scholarship on higher education can be understood as reflecting the imperialist dimensions of China’s recent and rapid internationalisation of higher education.