There was no practical need for Westerners to understand China's political traditions because they did not impact much of the world outside of China. For most of the twentieth century, Chinese political theory was marginalized mainly due to the superior economic and military power of Western countries. Moreover, the systematic encounter of leading ideas from different traditions can inspire fresh political thinking of lasting value. Chinese philosophy offers rich and varied traditions and texts for thinking about politics, and Western universities arbitrarily cut themselves off from fascinating intellectual debates. Why does this matter? One reason is philosophical (or intellectual). Most departments of political science, philosophy, and law at leading Anglophone universities remain focused on academic debates in Western societies and resist serious exploration of Chinese traditions and contemporary political debates in China. Western universities, in contrast, seem strikingly parochial.
Teachers and students read great texts from Western and Chinese traditions and often travel to Western countries to learn about the latest debates in political theory. Notwithstanding the political constraints, most political debates in Chinese universities involve comparisons of leading political values from philosophical traditions in China and the West. A comparative approach to political thinking comes naturally to Chinese students and intellectuals.
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