Editing Spring and Autumn period (section)

==Interstate relations==
{{Main |Interstate relations during the Spring and Autumn period}}
Ancient sources such as the ''[[Zuo Zhuan]]'' and the eponymous ''[[Spring and Autumn Annals|Chunqiu]]'' record the various diplomatic activities, such as court visits paid by one ruler to another ({{zh | c = {{linktext|朝}} | hp =cháo|labels = no}}), meetings of officials or nobles of different states ({{zh | first=t|s =会|t={{linktext|會}}|hp=huì| labels = no}}), missions of friendly inquiries sent by the ruler of one state to another ({{zh|c = {{linktext|聘}}|hp=pìn|labels= no}}), emissaries sent from one state to another ({{zh |c={{linktext|使}}|hp=shǐ|labels= no}}), and hunting parties attended by representatives of different states ({{zh|c = {{linktext|狩}}|hp=shou|labels= no}}).

Because of Chu's non-Zhou origin, the state was considered semi-barbarian and its rulers—beginning with [[King Wu of Chu|King Wu]] in 704 BCE—proclaimed themselves kings in their own right. Chu intrusion into Zhou territory was checked several times by the other states, particularly in the major battles of [[Battle of Chengpu|Chengpu]] (632 BCE), [[Battle of Bi|Bi]] (595 BCE) and [[Battle of Yanling|Yanling]] (575 BCE), which restored the states of [[Chen (state)|Chen]] and [[Cai (state)|Cai]].