Week 1 - China at the Center (January 31)

[Crystal Hsia]

[clay dube]

Hi Everyone,
We'll meet in our first live discussion session on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 5 pm PT. Prior to that session, please watch the recorded lectures and the required readings. The lectures and readings invite your comments and we'd like you to post your observations, questions and suggestions below. Please approach the materials as someone curious about China and the world and as someone teaching students in the U.S.

Please always keep in mind that our aim is to stimulate discussion of ways you can incorporate these topics and materials into your own classes. You know your disciplines and your students, so please think about your course needs, your students' abilities, and the sorts of activities you might employ to infuse these topics into your classes.

Lecture 1- Real and Imagined Pasts

 

 

 

Lecture 2: Never Forget

 

 

 

Required Readings:
Selection of materials on Chinese infrastructure efforts in Africa (2014-2022) (download below).
Josh Chin, Wall Street Journal video: Huawei in Uganda, 2019.
An Ning et al, "The Everyday Chinese Framing of Africa," Geopolitics, August 2020 (download below).

Recommended Readings:
Yu, Miin-ling, "From Two Camps to Three Worlds: The Party Worldview in PRC Textbooks (1949–1966)," China Quarterly, 2013 (see link below).
Silver, Laura et al, "Negative Views of China Tied to Critical Views of Its Policies on Human Rights," (read pages 1-21), Pew Research Center, June 29, 2022 (see link below).
He Weiping, "A Year of Great Strides," Beijing Review,  Jan. 9, 2023.

Recommeded Audio/Visuals:
(Mentioned in lecture 1): Gu Jun, director, Tales from the Silk Road of the Sea, CCTV (Chinese state television)
Episodes: 1, Rediscovering, 2, Family Inheritance, 3, Original Hometown, 4, The Connection, 5, The Heritage, 6, Ancient Wisdom, 7, Pulses and Connections
The China in Africa Podcast (long running, range of experiences and views), recent recommended episode featuring Josh Chin and Liza Lin of the Wall Street Journal, another episode on Africa and China's foreign policy.

Curriculum resources:
UNESCO, Youth Photo Competition, 2022
SPICE, Arts of the Silk Road (2007); Silk Road Ensemble (2013)
China Institute, From Silk to Oil, 2005 (review)

Attachments:

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[Kirstjen Pollock]

Observations: I would say all of these are fair assertions about modern China's rhetoric, and the history of Chinese textbooks lays decent foundations for further understanding. I have encountered these ideas about China's place in the world on multiple levels: from my travels, from conversations with Chinese peers, from my (Chinese) students, and even from my own child's stories about what she's learning in public school (we had a talk about Japan).

Challenges: What is difficult for me, as a foreigner, is how to discuss most of these themes with my students from a personal yet objective standpoint. The Chinese viewpoint is very different from that presented in English language materials. I teach critical thinking skills and let my students peruse and argue with materials on their own--with encouragement from me to look at sources from both languages--but the struggle remains, especially since the recent past has affected people we live and work with. 

[clay dube]

Hi Kirstjen, thanks very much for you comments. We need not embrace a perspective in order to understand it and to grasp how it may shape policies and behaviors. Of course, abuse in the past by others does not excuse abuse in the present - though it may be part of the justification for such policies. Teaching students to try to get a fuller idea of what may lie behind a policy is both hard and necessary.

[Jerrica Keane]

Hi Everyone! I am really looking forward to meeting everyone on zoom for our discussion in just over an hour. I found the materials this week to be incredibly interesting.

First, viewing globalization from a Chinese perspective is eye-opening. It made me really realize how much of a "western" lens I have when I think about global trade etc. The series of articles on the Belt and Road Initiative highlighted this. I had no idea that China is Africa's largest trading partner. I found the articles compelling both in their analysis of the various African countries' views of favourable or unfavourable relationships with the USA and China. Additionally, they were balancing in offering viewpoints that both criticize China's economic involvement in Africa as "new colonialism" and demonstrate how China is helping African nations become more interconnected. Questions I had during the reading were: How were the protests in Sri Lanka connected to the BRI? and on page 23 referenced China as a "soft power", what does this mean? Overall, my big takeaway was "Global politics is not a binary". 

The lectures were tremendously impactful. I found myself digging into key events that we mentioned to learn a bit more. One particular connection I made was during the discussion of the National Day of Humiliation in China. It is not so different from Remembrance Day that is observed in many countries, but my specific experience is from Canada. While National Day of Humiliation marks an important reminder for the Chinese to "not forget" how foreign powers can negatively impact the people in your country, my interpretation is also that it offers a symbol of Chinese peacefulness and reinforces the ideology that China would never impose unjust treaties or commit atrocities to other countries. I also recognize this is only one small, and very optimistic, interpretation. Remembrance Day in Canada serves as a reminder of the brutality of World War I (and those who lost their lives) and reinforces the ideology that Canada is a "peace-keeping" nation ( or the idea of 'peace-making' is also an interesting concept, but off-topic). One specific question I have after the lecture is: Is there still anti-Japanese sentiment in China?. It was a really informative lead up to week 1 discussion - thank you!

[Henry Ruan]

Thanks Prof. Dube for presenting briefly the Chinese history in an faily objective way. It provides a foundation of understanding China's past and now. When I discuss with my students on any events in history, all views are appreciated. Then I encourage students to explore how and why. It is important to have a historical perspective. It is equally important to "put yourself in other people's shoe". Students need to build confidence in their thinking from their own cultural backgrounds. This is also part of approach of inclusive instruction as I understand. Of course, I also remind my students that the world is complicated so that they can survive better. "Teaching students to try to get a fuller idea of what may lie behind a policy is both hard and necessary." I strongly agree with that. Thanks! 

[Courtney Caldwell]

Lecture 1 was really nostalgic for me. I went on a Fulbright-Hays through the 1990 Institute/UCB in the summer of 2018 (last it traveled I believe) that followed the Silk Road in China and Mongolia and went to many locations described here while learning the history. we began in Xi'an and throughout the trip actually learned about the influence and impact of Buddhism - we did go to the Wild Goose Pagoda, and the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang as part of our journey. The history of the Silk Road and foreign influence and plundering that happened even during that time period I think also can play into the history of China feeling exploited for a very long time. This portion of the lectures reminded me not only of the beauty and the history but also made me think of one of the texts we read, "Foreign Devils on the Silk Road," which explains the concept of exploitation and plundering by foreigners along the Silk Road - one such example is the Mogao Caves specifically were often plundered by foreigners trying to make a fortune along the Silk Road (the book discusses this). Anyway, to this end, I have actually done multiple lessons on this topic already - I did a lesson on Buddhism specifically where they either researched a cave  & it's sculptures, or a jataka (a story of the Buddha depicted in a cave) and had to create a talking tableau. Additionally, I did a lesson on the Belt and Road Initiative, we first learned a brief history of the Silk Road and its influence, and then connected it to the modern day Belt & Road. Students were assigned locations on the modern road and they had to research the site, why it was of strategic use, etc. They all plotted their locations on an interactive class map with their findings. 

[Nina Zhou]

Wow, I love this first topic of historial memory and nation-building as the jumping off point for our seminar series! I'm recovering from a finger injury and can't do too much typing, so I'll save some of my thoughts for our discussion today.

Briefly on here - I do think it is particularly important to examine China's interactions with other nations in order to fully understand contemporary China. In the Jiang and Hu eras, Chinese foreign policy has always used the word 和平崛起 or "peaceful rise," which several of the readings alluded to. However, in recent years, Xi Jinping has switched to the idea of 复兴 or "renaissance"--a lot to unpack there simply in the change of wording. Another interesting point that stood out to me is the possible distinctions between what China is currently doing in the continent of Africa (neocolonialism) and historical forms of imperialism/colonialism. I do think that the official narrative in China is seeking to reframe Chinese investment in Africa not as a mimicry of Western neocolonialism, but as a reinactment of traditional Chinese foreign policy (tribute system) in which China is actively trying to export Han Chinese culture and values to other regions. Has this been a successful strategy? It's also interesting to note that Xi has barely mentioned the BRI this year (2022), focusing largely on domestic economic issues instead. In past classes, I've taught comparison discussions looking at the historical Silk Road and the current BRI initiative -- a lot of obvious throughlines that students can pick up. It also leads to a discussion on the nature of globalization and whether it is ethically acceptable for states to advance their own geopolitical interests through foreign aid and direct investment.

*Follow up question after our discussion today* As educators, how can we strive to present an objective (and perhaps, more well-rounded) view of the PRC to our students? At my west LA school (that's quite progressive), students tend to criticize the U.S.'s history of systematic racism and neocolonial initiatives abroad (Afghanistan being a recent example). Sometimes I find it challenging to get students to "open their minds" about China when the PRC is doing actually questionable/problematic things, similar to what the U.S. has historically done. American media tends to present a really negative and black-and-white view of China, but at the same time, a lot of their criticisms are valid. So, how can we as teachers help shake up these perspectives?

Another note - I always teach Benedict Anderson to my students, and we look at historical narratives as examples of "imagining" the national identity. In regards to China, it's particularly interesting how the emphasis in textbooks changed after 1989 to focus on victimhood and the century of humiliation as a way to promote nationalism and dissaude from the West. I can definitely see ways to incorporate the Geopolitical Tourism article into that discussion.

[Danhui Dong]

Thank you for the great presentation and materials. What I am most interested in incorporating into my lessons are China's economy and foreign policy. When it comes to political systems and views, students and/or teachers can both be preoccupied with certain beliefs and perspectives and the class discussions can be difficult to achieve some sort of consensus (although a variety of opinions are always appreciated, some consensus can serve as a strong foundation for the class to keep going). Since China's role in the world economy is emerging these days, I feel students will have a great interest getting started from economic and foreign policies. 

[Henry Ruan]

Here are a few takeaways from this session.

1. I really appreciate the sharing of teachers from all over. I learned a lot. Many thanks!

2. Prof. Dube mentioned "open mind" in the session. I agree that keeping an open mindset is what we should teach. Narrow mindset is a sign of weakness. 

3. I cannot understand that policians here fear about the rise of China. Why cannot we focus on improving ourselves and make us stronger?  Maybe we can't anymore? Any reason behind? I think that we (Americans) lose the confidence that we used to have. Is this a sign of declining? Destroying others to make us strong is not a good strategy. Making the world a better place to live for all is! Maybe that is my fantasie.

4. Does it still exist a non-propaganda media? I am just wondering. 

Thanks.

[Brendon McGirr]

Really interesting materials and lectures, thank you for providing them. I am most interested in the idea of how China views itself throughout history, and how that dictates modern policy. The idea of the Silk Road making China a "hub" pairs well with its current initatives in Africa. Being a provider allows China to project it's soft power in a region that is still trying to establish itself on the world stage. It was also intersting comparing this with the readings on tourism in China. Individualistically, the Chinese people see themselves as helpers to regions that have struggled against capitalistic societies, and take pride in helping others. This allows for more these projects to gain popularity and promote the Chinese foreign policy.

 

In my Devleopment unit in Global Politics we discuss if the Belt and Road is a way of promoting peaceful soft power or a new for of colonialism that China is exploit. These resources will be great additions to that discussion.

[Indira Engel]

I've truly appreciated the materials provided as well as the lectures. My experiences with the Chinese culture to date have been limited to building friendships with Chinese-Panamanians (friends I met when I lived in my home country of Panama). Food and traditions were at the forefront of our exchanges. We seldom talked about politics; however, they made the point that emigrating to Panama had afforded them the opportunity to flourish economically through had work. Their deep sense of respecting their elders and caring for their family fit right in with the Panamanian culture. Upon relocating to Nebraska, I gained other experiences through college interactions. However, over time I have noticed a negative stereotype of the culture and what I perceive as a misunderstanding of the culture, perhaps selecting the negative aspects of stories and generalizing rather than trying to understand further, beyong the media hype. I'm curious about the places of worship in China. Are the people able to attend services openly? It was mentioned in some of the materials, specifically mentioning budhism. Is religion discouraged?

[Elizabeth Quintero]

It is interesting how the Chinese government is working on this Belt and Road initiative. We live in an immensely interconnected world and I’m sure that this "new silk road" will serve to further connect us. I wonder how the news of this initiative is being taken by people who are weary of China's power and their innovation.

Regarding the questions posed in the first lecture, I would engage my students in a discussion about leaders and their use of history to garner support for actions or policies by asking them to think about any examples past of present of leaders doing this. Most recently I can think of politicians evoking nostalgia for the “good ole days” and using rhetoric that implies their country can go back to these days all to garner support. The techniques I saw China’s leaders using were including images of children which immediately makes people think of the future and progress for their sake. The cultural buttons I saw being pushed are the fact that they include children of different ethnicities/nationalities in the video holding hands, singing, and dancing together. This promotes the ideas of inclusivity and cooperation. I believe these approaches must be very effective in getting support from not only Chinese people but people from other countries who will benefit from the new silk road. I believe that what students know about China’s present and past makes it harder to employ historical imagery in this way since they are looking at this imagery through a lens that has often viewed China as a hostile place. From first glance, the average American student or adult for that matter may look at the promotional video and think it is some sort of propaganda.

Regarding religions and how they have connected the world past and present, I would like to know more about why the Chinese government considers Islam a threat? I have heard a lot in the U.S. media about the human rights abuses and camps in China where there are Muslim prisoners. Considering that the belt and road initiative promotes interconnectedness and inclusiveness, I wonder where China stands on Islam.  Regarding the questions, students might be able to explore how aggression or exchange might foster technological advance or cultural growth when studying the Cold War. Students of World History may analyze how the threat of aggression from “the other” often lead to intense competition that foster technological advancement. The Cold War and the Space Race are evident examples of that. Students may potentially do a research project on how aggression between the U.S. and China has led to attempted technological advancement on both sides but more so for China. One case from the past that might be useful in learning about the costs and benefits of expansion and trade could be Imperialism. Those go gained were the imperialists, predominately European countries and Japan and those who suffered where the colonized people’s. 

Regarding lecture 2, it was so interesting to learn about how China has taken their “humiliating history” and turned this history into a tool to evoke trust, support, and admiration for the communist government. I also was not surprised to learn that the Chinese government often brings up this humiliating history when dealing with other powers, in international relations. I can definitely see a pattern in the news whenever the U.S. choses to publicly condemn China for human rights abuses, the response from China is usually that the U.S. should be the last one to be speaking on the subject considering their rather long history with human rights abuses. I wonder if there are any people in China who believe that this humiliating history should be left in the past and not remembered which as much ardor as the government wants it to be, especially not to the point of having a national parade remembering this history. The reason I wonder this is because the lecture mentioned that this remembrance has been used to fuel anti-Japanese sentiment. It is fascinating to me that China’s position is to never forget this history, commit to growing and becoming stronger but at the same time, not using hostility and invasions to acquire to this power. 

 

[Jerrica Keane]

Hi Henry, 

I had many similar thoughts to you - especially comment number 3. It almost seems that the dominate narrative in America is that any other country who economically matches or surpasses the US is a threat. It seems very counter-productive to have this mindset. While I understand the downsides to an increasing globalized economy, there are also many, many positives. Innovation, for one, comes from competition and collaboration. A strong global economy and trade network is good for everyone. 

[Jenai Sheffels]

Your comment about neocolonialism got me to thinking; prior to the 1900s, Japan studied the U.S. and other "great" nations to determine what it was they did that made them world powers.  One of the things they returned with was that they needed to have colonies and that they needed to be an industrial power.  China had never attacked another nation, nor had they really had extensive colonies.  Maybe they were just later to the game than everyone else.  After their experience at the hands of the British, the U.S., and Japan, why wouldn't they want to play the same game, but do it better?

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