Chinese History and the National Humiliation Narrative

Abstract

This note describes how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), founded in 1949, has attempted to create and maintain an official narrative of the country and regime that tilts toward the favorable and minimizes any negative. A key component of the historical narrative has been China's so-called Century of Humiliation, in which China suffered exploitation at the hands of various other nations. Mistreatment by foreigners resulted in China's being disadvantaged in unequal treaties, being impoverished by outrageous indemnity payments, and suffering territorial losses (e.g., Hong Kong and Macau) and violations of its sovereignty (e.g., foreign concessions). In announcing the founding of the PRC in 1949, CCP Chairman Mao Zedong said, Ours will no longer be a nation subject to insult and humiliation. We have stood up. Reference to the Century of Humiliation and China's refusal to be controlled any longer was meant to inspire and motivate national pride in the Chinese people. In recent years, the influence of the national humiliation narrative has become increasingly apparent in China's international actions. CCP has aggressively responded to perceived offenses by foreign entities, be they governments or companies, with public criticism and mobilization of Chinese netizens. This note was written to accompany The NBA, China, and Social Media: What Are the Rules of the Game? (UVA-E-0459), which outlines the Chinese reaction to 2019 social media posts sympathetic to protestors in Hong Kong. It gives background on the national humiliation narrative and its ongoing influence on China's relationship with its own people and with other nations. Excerpt UVA-E-0461 Jan. 25, 2021 Chinese History and the National Humiliation Narrative When considering the Chinese government's swift and unambiguous reaction to the October 2019 National Basketball Association (NBA) controversy, it is important to take into account the historical, social, and political drivers that have led to similar actions on the part of the Chinese government in the past. Over the past decade, the Chinese government has refined a strongly nationalistic historical narrative that emphasizes past injustices that have been inflicted by foreign powers on China. It has used this interpretation to justify severe responses to foreign actions that it perceives as blatant violations of its sovereignty or insults to the Chinese people. A Traditional Chinese View of History Chinese people take a great deal of ethnic pride in what the nation has accomplished over the span of its numerous dynasties that is, over its 5,000 years of history. Traditional histories include events prior to 3,000BCE, but it is important to realize that most of what is contained in such histories is accounts of mythical beings and legendary rulers. Chinese historical records gradually became more substantial during the first millennium BCE, comprising incomplete annals and associated commentaries; however, it is not until the second century BCE that Sima Qian compiled the first comprehensive history of China which is to a large extent based on the existing traditional histories. While the historical record might be incomplete, domestically there is a commonly accepted understanding of the events that constitute China's history; a view that is perpetuated in public education. . . .