Notions of China

The Idea of China: A Contested History is a multifaceted examination of the country, which seeks to transform our understanding of ideas about China and our shifting definitions of what it is to be Chinese. Written by Professor Xu Guoqi, David H Y Chang Professor in Chinese History and Founding Director of the Institute of Transnational History of China, the book considers China and its people as an identity constantly under renovation.

“The idea of ‘China’ (Zhongguo) has been invented, fabricated, or imagined by both Chinese and foreigners,” said Professor Xu. “Simply put, like all modern nations, it is a construction. Moreover, historically there have been many different Chinas – China as a civilisation, as a culture, as either a family-state or a party-state. The idea of China has also differed over time.

“This is a book about how the idea of China has taken shape and who has shaped it – and a history of the battles over that idea. Of course, the formation of this idea is still a work in progress and will continue to challenge us. Ideas of China have included a geographic concept, a civilisation, a political institution, and many different regimes across the centuries. ‘Chinese’ can even serve as shorthand for an attitude or mentality, just as individualism is stereotypically associated with the West.”

Comparative perspective

While other works have addressed the topic of the idea of China from the Chinese historical perspective, this is the first study to explore it from a comparative international or transnational perspective, as well as from the perspective of shared history – real or imagined.

Professor Xu emphasised that the book does not ask what China is, but focusses instead on what Chinese and foreigners mean when they speak of China. “We must explore just how ‘China’ became China and how ‘Chinese’ became Chinese,” he said, adding, “few Westerners have realised, and even fewer Chinese have accepted, that the very notion of ‘China’ is problematic.

“No one in the world, including the Chinese themselves, can answer with absolute certainty questions such as: Is China a civilisation, a nation-state, or a party-state? Is China a socialist or a capitalist country? Is the current rise of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) peaceful or violent? How should Chinese citizenship be defined? Why has the PRC had so many problems over the course of its history? Will the PRC one day become democratic? The list can go on and on.”

All of these issues are important not only to the Chinese, but also to the rest of the world, said Professor Xu, since how they are ultimately addressed will have serious implications for the future, given that China and the Chinese diaspora have a profound impact throughout the world.

Path of ideas

The structure of the book follows what the author refers to as a ‘wandering path of ideas about China’ from ancient times to the modern day, not only crossing the 1949 divide but also highlighting the challenges the country faces in its transnational and shared history. He directs historical analysis to the problem of China and Chineseness, how they have sometimes been shared, sometimes not shared, and discussed, or debated, both among Chinese and with outsiders.

“To distinguish honest ideas about China from distortions and lies, we must turn to history, where we can develop a good understanding of the modern nation’s past,” said Professor Xu. “But this book continues into the 21st century, as both Chinese and foreigners are still trying to understand just what one means by ‘China’ and what defines Chineseness.”

He highlights what is shared between ancient times and the present, between different regimes in China and their political thought and ideals, and between traditional political ideas and the current Chinese regime’s promotion of soft power and specific national narratives. He also looks at how foreign countries have thought about China and Chineseness from pre-modern times to now, and describes some of the perceptions and misperceptions held.

Professor Xu concluded by saying that while he has written this book for both Chinese and non-Chinese readers, who will have different perceptions and interests, he wished to make one thing very clear: “This book is about my idea of China, based on my personal and academic background and on my experiences as both an insider and an outsider of sorts,” he said.

“In other words, I approach this book as a provocative think piece about an extremely difficult and complicated topic. I simply cannot discuss all the relevant issues here, nor can I predict what the future may hold for the idea of China, but I can point to the masquerades and misunderstandings about the past. No one can forecast whether the ‘China’ we think we know today will exist in the future.”