China and the Barbarians: Resisting the Western World Order - Softcover

Schulte Nordholt, Henk

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9087282788 ISBN 13: 9789087282783

Publisher: Leiden University Press, 2018

Synopsis

China's development over the centuries has purposely diverged from that of the West in terms of language, philosophy, and history, and for many decades its nationalism created a form of isolationism. In order to maintain its influence the Chinese Communist Party has created the myth that, without the Party, China could not have returned to the world stage and that, without the Party, the "territorial integrity" of the country cannot be restored. But what does this "restored" China look like? To answer, Henk Schulte Nordholt examines how Beijing's regional policy is causing structural tensions between China and most of the countries located in East and Southeast Asia, and also, indirectly, their ally the United States. In China and the Barbarians, Nordholt offers his analysis of the possible trajectory of China's internal political and cultural developments in the coming years.

About this title

Review:

"It's a revelatory . . .book for general readers, but should also be regarded as a must-have addition to the libraries of serious Sinologists. . . . In 300 magisterial pages, Nordholdt sets out to catalog the existential problems confronting 21st century China, which he regards as a cultural idea, rather than a racial fact. . . . To understand how the present system came to power, Nordholt stresses the importance of patriotism in the creation of the new China." --Asia Today International

"China and the Barbarians delves into China's development over the centuries in the areas of philosophy, language, and nationalism in an attempt to describe how the country has managed to maintain a disparate path from that of countries looking to control and assimilate it into the Western-centric world order."--The Beijinger

From the Back Cover:

Since time immemorial China regarded its culture and statecraft superior to other nations, but in the ‘Age of Humiliation’ (1839-1949), it was reduced to a semi-colony. The old empire has now regained its strength, but what drives its domestic and foreign policy? China calls itself a ‘Socialist’ country, but the appellation of philosopher Tu Weiming is more adequate: A battlefield of Socialism, Liberalism and Confucianism. The outcome of this struggle will have profound repercussions. Continuation of the present policy will only lead to more tensions: Beijing’s expansionist policies in the South China Sea and Eurasia (the ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative) are aimed to restore the days of China’s imperial grandeur. If China choses a different political model that blends the Confucian tradition with a western style representative government, a clash with its neighbours and the United States can be avoided. China and the Barbarians offers a fascinating insight into the thinking of China’s philosophers and powerbrokers of the past and present. Interviews with eight prominent Chinese intellectuals add an authentic ring to this book. ‘A clever and astute book that shows how the Chinese Communist Party is using classical culture to redesign society’ – NRC Handelsblad Over 10.000 copies sold of the Dutch edition. Hendrik Schulte Nordholt (1953) is a sinologist. He has been involved in China for more than thirty years as government official promoting Dutch-Chinese economic relations, a banker and a businessman. Schulte Nord¬holt has lived in China for twenty years, and frequently speaks and publishes on China.

About this edition

• Publisher: Leiden University Press
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 9087282788
• ISBN 13: 9789087282783
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 372