The Politics of Chinese History

We are delighted to invite you to the final MERICS event in 2024: a special discussion on “The Politics of Chinese History”. Please join us on December 12 from 15:00-17:00 for a conversation at the intersection of hard politics, academic research, intellectual interest and fine art. 

China is proud of its 5000-year-old history – and rightly so! Few other nations can look back at an equally long, eventful and fascinating past or point to a similar wealth of cultural, scientific and social achievements. Books, TV series and documentaries about China’s past have captivated audiences in China and around the world, and most conversations about China at some point veer into more or less well-informed interpretations of the past. 

Yet Chinese history has also always been deeply political. Through the ages, China’s emperors tasked scholars to rewrite the past and document the present to justify and glorify their rule. Today’s Communist Party is no exception. On the contrary, Xi Jinping has launched extraordinary efforts to “tell China’s story well”. He has built numerous new museums that present an official interpretation of the past (omitting or embellishing the dark chapters of Communist rule such as the Cultural Revolution or Tiananmen). Beijing uses ancient maps to legitimize territorial claims.  Archaeologists  have been sent on the mission to trace back the origins of Chinese civilization further than ever before. Diplomats scan international museums and auctions for looted artworks. 

Join us for this pre-Christmas discussion on the many facets of  China's very political approach to its past with three outstanding experts! 

Speakers: 
Christine Howald, Deputy Director, Central Archive of the National Museum Berlin, Head Provenance Researcher Asia Collections 
Daniel Leese, Professor of Sinology at the University of Freiburg, working on modern China, specializing in the history of the 20th century 
Volker Stanzel, Former German Ambassador to China and Japan and Senior Distinguished Fellow at SWP 

Moderator: 
Bernhard Bartsch, Director External Relations, MERICS

We look forward to seeing you on December 12 and hope this will be a fitting send-off into the holiday season, at the end of a tumultuous year and in anticipation of an equally challenging 2025.