It's amusing to read the argument that the name Middle Kingdom(China) itself smacks of racism. Let's look at Chinese history and how China today is referred to as Zhongguo, so-translated into the Middle Kingdom.

For those who know China's history, we know there were the Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Jin, Sui, Tang, Song Yuan, Ming, Qing empires known by the respective dynasties - not the Middle Kingdom as suggested.

I just wonder how 'middle' (or Sino-centric) can the empires of Yuan (the Mongol from the north) and Qing (the Manqing from the northeast) be, not to mention the Era of Six Dynasties and the Era of Five Dynasties and Ten States founded by the various minority races.

The term Zhongguo did appear in ancient Chinese classics, but as I mentioned in another letter earlier, it was relative to the surrounding Dong Yi, Xi Rong, Bei Di and Nan Man . If you check the Ci Hai, the lexicon for the origins of Chinese words and terms, the explanation on Zhongguo reads:

'Ancient China built its capital at the north and southern bank of the Huanghe River to differentiate it from the Man, Yi, Rong, Di of the four surroundings. It named itself as Zhongguo, thereby using Zhong (central, middle, or interior) and Wai (outside or exterior) to differentiate farness or nearness (i.e. the distance) form the region.' (Note: literal translation and explanation in brackets my own).

May I now ask how can the term 'Zhongguo' be linked to inherent racism?