A postcolonial reading of the state question in China

Abstract

The notion of sovereignty in China carries a postcolonial legacy. Earlier Chinese leaders adopted the notion of sovereignty to protect themselves from Western imperialist intrusion. However, not only was their performance as a sovereign state judged against a set of criteria already determined externally, but their sovereign sphere was also constructed too late to avoid the imperialist remnants within China which were established before Chinese could nominally strengthen their sovereign defense. As a result, with every Chinese assertion of their soverign status, there comes the internal reminder that it is subverted. The sense of anxiety and frustration thus created explains China's harsh policy toward Taiwan, a piece of land considered to be Chinese but now searching for independent statehood. Taiwan, once a Japanese colony and then an American Cold War base, has become a permanent reminder to the Chinese leaders of their unwanted historical shame.