Abstract
AbstractPhilosemitism – the idealization of Jews and Israel – and Chinese-Jewish history function as a platform of soft power for growing China–Israel relations and as a means to bolster Chinese nationalism. Given the Chinese Communist Party's current positioning of China as a globally dominant power as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, this article re-examines the contemporary incarnation of philosemitism in China as part of a civilizationist narrative designed to position China as globally central and superior. This not only places heavy emphasis upon Jewish racial stereotypes and erases genuine historical Jewish voices but it also ignores evidence of anti-Semitic beliefs in China.
Highlights
Philosemitism – the idealization of Jews and Israel – and Chinese-Jewish history function as a platform of soft power for growing China–Israel relations and as a means to bolster Chinese nationalism
Building upon existing research that addresses the close relationship between philosemitism and Chinese nationalism coupled with the current “historical statecraft” of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),5 this paper argues that current constructions of Jews and Israel function to position “Chinese-ness” as globally central and superior in a Chinese form of what Rogers Brubaker terms civilizationism
As part of the strengthening Sino-Israeli relations in recent years, China is engaging in increased cultural ties with Jews, Judaism and Israel
Summary
Philosemitism – the idealization of Jews and Israel – and Chinese-Jewish history function as a platform of soft power for growing China–Israel relations and as a means to bolster Chinese nationalism.
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