▁(/ ), ▁names ▁for ▁" Ch ina " ▁that ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁X ia ▁dynast y . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁Q in ▁to ▁M ing ▁dynast y ▁liter ati ▁discussed ▁" Z h ong gu o " ▁as ▁both ▁a ▁historical ▁place ▁or ▁territory ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁culture . ▁Writ ers ▁of ▁the ▁M ing ▁period ▁in ▁particular ▁used ▁the ▁term ▁as ▁a ▁political ▁tool ▁to ▁express ▁opposition ▁to ▁expansion ist ▁policies ▁that ▁incorpor ated ▁foreign ers ▁into ▁the ▁emp ire . ▁In ▁contrast ▁foreign ▁conquer ors ▁typically ▁avoided ▁discuss ions ▁of ▁" Z h ong gu o " ▁and ▁instead ▁defined ▁membership ▁in ▁their ▁emp ires ▁to ▁include ▁both ▁Han ▁and ▁non - H an ▁pe op les . ▁ ▁Q ing ▁Zh ong gu o ▁appeared ▁in ▁a ▁formal ▁international ▁legal ▁document ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁during ▁the ▁Q ing ▁dynast y ▁in ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁N er chin sk , ▁ 1 6 8 9 . ▁The ▁term ▁was ▁then ▁used ▁in ▁communic ations ▁with ▁other ▁states ▁and ▁in ▁treat ies . ▁The ▁Man ch u ▁r ul ers ▁incorpor ated ▁Inner ▁Asian ▁pol ities ▁into ▁their ▁emp ire , ▁and ▁Wei ▁Y uan , ▁a ▁state craft ▁scholar , ▁distinguished ▁the ▁new ▁territ ories ▁from ▁Zh ong gu o , ▁which ▁he ▁defined ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 7 ▁provinces ▁of ▁" Ch ina ▁proper " ▁plus ▁the ▁Man ch u ▁hom el ands ▁in ▁the ▁N ortheast . ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁the ▁term