Chinese Studies as Ideology

Wolfgang Kubin
University of Bonn

Many assumptions in Chinese studies are taken for granted without much reflection. For instance the notion of the "West". Be it in China or be it overseas, every scholar is convinced that by 1840 the West or Western powers or Europeans intruded the Middle Kingdom. But at that time there hardly existed the idea of an imperialist West. Since many countries which are considered part of the West today did not exist in those years at all, one can only speak of Great Britain invading China in the 19^th century. But even this is problematic from the historian's point of view as it was not "England", but the East India Company being at war with Qing Dynasty.

Since the Opium Wars, China sees herself as a victim and has accused imperialist powers of conquering and exploiting her. But according to German sinology (Franke, Trauzettel, Eberspächer) the Qing Dynasty was an imperial country as well and struggled with England and Russia for supremacy over Central Asia.

It is another question why scholars in Chinese studies still generalize the history under the name of the West and include countries which were never imperialist (Switzerland) or were of late origin (Finland).  

作为意识形态的中国研究

顾彬

许多中国研究的结论被人们不加反思地接受，比如“西方”的概念。无论在中国国内还是海外，学者们都确信1840年西方或西方列强或欧洲人侵入了中华帝国。但实际上当时尚未形成一个西方帝国主义的 概念。由于许多今天可被归为西方的国家那时并不存在，我们只能说当时大英帝国入侵了中国。然而从历史学的角度这仍然是个值得质疑的问题，因为那甚至不是 “英国”而是东印度公司与清廷发生的战争。

自鸦片战争以来，中国视自己为受害者并指责帝国主义列强征服和压迫了她。但根据德国汉学（如福赫伯、陶泽德、艾伯斯派克）的研究，清朝同样也是个殖民国家，她曾与英国和俄国争夺中亚的霸权。

问题在于为何哪怕是中国研究领域的专家们仍然以“西方”的名义概括历史，这个“西方”范畴笼统地涵盖了从未发生过殖民行为的国家（如瑞士）或后起的资本主义国家（如芬兰）。