World History in China as Seen in the Historiography of MA Keyao

Description

Chinese nationalism and constructions of a national identity usually bear a strong relational dimension: they define China's identity in terms of her place in the world - both temporally and spatially. An analysis of Chinese concepts of world history and world order thus adds new insights to discussions of Chinese nationalism. In this panel, we will look at the connection between national identity constructions and concepts of world history and world order since the late 19th century. Our emphasis is on two periods where the question of China's place in the world was most pressing, i.e. the turn of the 20th and the turn of the 21st century. We will explore which concepts of time and space were used to make sense of a changing world and how China was relocated in the temporal and spatial grid of world history and world order. Our discussion will include concepts such as imperialism, Wilsonianism, the "rise and fall" of nations, diaspora, particular temporal formations ("feudalism") and cultural circles. We will analyse the origins of these concepts and continuities and changes in their employment and meaning in the light of the question of China's national identity.