In Search of Admiration and Respect: Chinese Cultural Diplomacy in the United States, 1875–1974
In Search of Admiration and Respect: Chinese Cultural Diplomacy in the United States, 1875–1974
by Yanqiu Zheng
University of Michigan Press, 2024
ISBNs
Cloth: 978-0-472-07680-2
Paper: 978-0-472-05680-4
eISBN: 978-0-472-90447-1 (OA)
About the Book
In Search of Admiration and Respect examines the institutionalization of Chinese cultural diplomacy in the period between high imperialism and the international ascendance of the People’s Republic of China. During these years, Chinese intellectuals and officials tried to promote the idea of China’s cultural refinement in an effort to combat negative perceptions of the nation. Yanqiu Zheng argues that, unlike similar projects by more established powers, Chinese cultural diplomacy in this era was not carried out solely by a functional government agency; rather, limited resources forced an uneasy collaboration between the New York-based China Institute and the Chinese Nationalist government.
In Search of Admiration and Respect uses the Chinese case to underscore what Zheng calls “infrastructure of persuasion,” in which American philanthropy, museums, exhibitions, and show business had disproportionate power in setting the agenda of unequal intercultural encounters. This volume also provides historical insights into China’s ongoing quest for international recognition. Drawing upon diverse archival sources, Zheng expands the contours of cultural diplomacy beyond established powers and sheds light on the limited agency of peripheral nations in their self-representation.
In Search of Admiration and Respect uses the Chinese case to underscore what Zheng calls “infrastructure of persuasion,” in which American philanthropy, museums, exhibitions, and show business had disproportionate power in setting the agenda of unequal intercultural encounters. This volume also provides historical insights into China’s ongoing quest for international recognition. Drawing upon diverse archival sources, Zheng expands the contours of cultural diplomacy beyond established powers and sheds light on the limited agency of peripheral nations in their self-representation.
About the Author
Yanqiu Zheng is a historian of China in the world and is the Associate Director of Asia and Pacific Programs at St. Lawrence University's Patti McGill Peterson Center for International and Intercultural Studies. He led the China and the Global South project, supported by the Ford Foundation, at the Social Science Research Council.
Reviews
“Filled with fresh insights, this book should be a must-read for students, scholars, and anyone among the general public who is interested in cultural diplomacy, US-China relations, modern Chinese history, and international history.”
— Hongshan Li, Twentieth-Century China"In this illuminating study, Zheng traces the early endeavors into cultural diplomacy by Qing diplomats for China, although military conflict and political transitions ultimately prevented any systematic policy from developing until the founding of the China Institute in New Year in 1926. Summing Up: Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty."— F. Ng, Choice
"Drawing upon multiple archival sources in the United States, Taiwan, and mainland China, Yanqiu Zheng’s book provides a fresh examination of Chinese cultural diplomacy in the United States under the Chinese Nationalist regime."— Mao Lin, H-Diplo
"In Search of Admiration and Respect is a valuable addition to the historiography of Sino-Western relations, and it also serves as a good reminder of why cultural diplomacy matters in an ever-shifting world. . . . the quality of the research is high and the topic is timely, and those two attributes alone are sufficient to make this text a valuable contribution to the diplomatic history of China."
— Carl Kubler, American Historical ReviewWinner: 2023-2024 First Book Award— Columbia University Weatherhead East Asian Institute
“In Search of Admiration and Respect by Yanqiu Zheng is a superb study on the history of Chinese cultural diplomacy. Persuasively argued and extensively researched, the book highlights an overlooked but important channel of modern Chinese statecraft to write a much broader story of the Cold War. This history holds considerable relevance for our understanding of Chinese cultural diplomacy today, especially as the People’s Republic of China steps up ongoing efforts at improving its image abroad and cultivating its global soft power. Anyone interested in Chinese history, international history, or international relations should read this important book.”— Philip Thai, Northeastern University
“In Search of Admiration and Respect makes an important and original contribution to our understanding of Sino-US relations. Engaging with multiple fields of scholarship, Zheng moves skillfully back and forth between the China Institute and the Kuomintang (KMT) government to tell the story of how Chinese cultural diplomacy emerged and changed over half a century. This book will be of interest to historians of modern China in the world, the United States in the world, international history more broadly, and Asian America.”— Chien-Wen Kung, National University of Singapore
Tags
China Understandings Today, Cultural diplomacy, Chinese, Americas (North Central South West Indies), Relations, Asian, China, Asia, 19th century, Art, Cultural & Ethnic Studies, 20th century, Literary Criticism, United States, Social Science, History
Open Access Information
Label: The Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies (LRCCS)
License: CC BY-NC
Loading...