Overview: A defining characteristic of the East Asian Peoples affinity bloc is the extensive cultural exchange between Chinese and other peoples in the region. Historically, China built the Great Wall to defend against peoples from the northern deserts and steppes, yet groups like the Mongols and later the Manchu conquered and ruled China for centuries. In turn, China's wealth, technology, philosophical traditions, and cultural practices deeply influenced these peoples, with many settlers eventually assimilating into Chinese culture. Beyond the Chinese, major peoples in the East Asian Peoples affinity bloc include the Japanese, Koreans, Manchu (who have largely assimilated with the Chinese while retaining some cultural distinctiveness), and Mongolians. These groups share historical interconnections through trade, migration, conquest, and cultural exchange, while maintaining their own distinct identities.

  -- ROP Editor

People clusters: Chinese; Chinese-Hui; Japanese; Korean; Manchu; Mongolian; Taiwan Indigenous

Countries where they are found: Algeria; Angola; Argentina; Australia; Austria; Bahamas; Bangladesh; Barbados; Belgium; Belize; Bolivia; Botswana; Brazil; Brunei; Cambodia; Canada; Chile; China; Christmas Island; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba; Curacao; Czech Republic; Denmark; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; Fiji; France; French Guiana; French Polynesia; Germany; Greece; Guam; Guatemala; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; Hong Kong; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Iran; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kiribati; Kyrgyzstan; Laos; Lesotho; Macao; Madagascar; Malaysia; Martinique; Mauritius; Mexico; Micronesia; Mongolia; Mozambique; Myanmar; Nauru; Nepal; Netherlands; New Caledonia; New Zealand; Nicaragua; North Korea; Northern Mariana Islands; Pakistan; Panama; Papua New Guinea; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Portugal; Reunion; Romania; Russian Federation; Saint Lucia; Saudi Arabia; Seychelles; Singapore; Solomon Islands; South Africa; South Korea; Spain; Sri Lanka; Suriname; Switzerland; Taiwan; Tajikistan; Tanzania; Thailand; Trinidad and Tobago; Türkiye; Turkmenistan; Tuvalu; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; Venezuela; Vietnam; Zambia; Zimbabwe