Until the second half of the 19th century, East and South-East Asian countries were linked by an interstate system, based on the rules of the Chinese Empire, which became known – following Western patterns – as a China-centred feudal aid system. This model is descriptive, thus it is not suitable capturing the inner logic and operational mechanism of these interstate relations. The present study is making an attempt to put the China-centred feudal aid system into its own context and to identify its institutional basis.