I see where you are coming from but China for most of the last 2,000 has been more divided than United into various kingdoms and empires

But I do take your point that the Chinese culture has always managed to survive

If China experience a collapse I'm saying it would be replaced by another cycle like which has already experienced

Only the nation of Taiwan could potentially put Humpty Dumpty back together again

The Chinese are not backwards they just chose to stop technological development during the time of Song and Ming China

And Japan did the same with 250 years of isolationism after the Japanese warring States period