I can think of many instructive explanations for China’s early size and unity that are nonetheless derivative. For instance perhaps a common language for writing played a key role, or perhaps the civil service and the exam system bound the country together. I can think of a few factors that might count as fundamental, and often they involve economies of scale:

• There may be greater economies of scale in Chinese agriculture.
• There may be economies of scale for fighting land battles with horses.
• China had lower climate volatility than did Europe.
• China has 2 main, navigable rivers running east to west.
• China was formed when the prevailing technologies favored size and scale.
• China did a better job absorbing the “barbarians” and thus persisted as a larger political unit.

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