Book Chapter

Recreating the Chinese Nation-State

Charlton, Sue Ellen M.

2015,2014

Overview

The overarching political challenge of modern Chinese history has been to establish national unity and, with it, government legitimacy. One of most interesting dimensions of the historical effort to recreate and redefine the Chinese nation-state is the contemporary renaissance of Confucian thought and policies. Confucianism, the social and political philosophy that later came to dominate the Chinese government, emerged during this early period. The Opium War between China and Britain is central to our story of national identity for two reasons. First, it inaugurated the pattern of foreign imperialism and Chinese weakness that lasted until the twentieth century. Second, because of this pattern, the Opium War became the symbol of Chinese humiliation and prompted a century-long struggle to free China from foreign control and influence. The extent of the Communist revolution as developed at Yan'an can be seen in its policy toward women.

• Publisher: Routledge,Taylor & Francis Group
• ISBN: 0813348838, 9780813348834