A Short History of China and Southeast Asiahegemonic dominance within a sinocentric world order was as satisfy-
ing to Chinese pride as world empire, and was far less costly.
As for the kingdoms of Southeast Asia, they had proved them-
selves tough and resilient in defence of their territories. Symbolic
submission was one thing, subjugation was another. Trade with China
continued for—under whatever dynasty—it was too important to
Southeast Asian rulers for them to quibble over China’s terms. The
Chinese world order thus remained in place, even as important parts
of Southeast Asia were adopting new ways of understanding the world
that—particularly in the case of Islam—introduced potentially incom-
patible elements that threatened to complicate any future bilateral
relations regimes worked out between Muslim Southeast Asian powers
and the Middle Kingdom.