From “Construction of Own-Based Culture” to “Sinification”: Historical Meaning of the Discussion of the 1930s

Abstract

The article focuses on the Chinese discussion of 1935 on “Cultural Construction on a Chinese Basis” ( Zhongguo benwei wenhua jianshe ) and its influence on the subsequent “Sinification” ( Zhongguohua ) movement. The author analyzed the content of the “Manifesto of Cultural Construction on a Chinese Basis” (January 1935), which advocated a selective approach to both Chinese and Western cultures in order to enable China’s politics, society and thought to regain their national characteristics. It is underlined that compromise proposal to “not cling to the old” in Chinese culture and not to “follow blindly” Western culture has drawn critical response from Chinese adherents of Westernization. Hu Shi interpreted the idea of “Chinese own-based culture” as embodiment of the old thesis of combining “Chinese basis” ( Zhong ti ) with “Western application” ( Xi yong ). He maintained that the force of inertia of traditional culture is very strong, and, therefore, anxiety about the disappearance of national characteristics from the life of Chinese society is unfounded. Relying on materials of Chinese primary sources, the article shows that during the discussion the center of attention shifted from the sphere of culture to the outstanding issues of socio-economic development and international relations. Tao Xisheng, a proponent of “construction of own-based culture,” urged the “semicolonial Chinese” to oppose capitalist aggression, to create national thought and to take China as a starting point in assessing all events and trends. He prioritized tasks of gaining national independence and sovereignty, countering the expansion of capitalist powers, carrying out organized and planned advance of China. The emphasis on the factors of time and place demonstrated that the discourse on “own-based culture” was not divorced from practice. Participants of the discussion summarized China’s needs as improving people’s livelihood, developing the economy and ensuring the survival of the nation. The transition from the discussion of cultural construction to deliberating on the problems of the state took place against the background of the growing need for national consolidation in eve of the full-scale conflict with Japan. The pre-war discussion of “own-based culture” strengthened the positions of Chinese nationalism and cultural conservatism. In the late 1930s, Chinese Marxists launched their “Sinification” movement, which helped to bridge the gap between foreign theory and Chinese practice, thus paving the way to a positive understanding of Chinese characteristics. The article concludes that in modern China the contemporary relevance of the ideas of “construction of own-based culture” is determined by the growing attention to the preservation of identity and independence of Chinese culture in the era of rapid economic development and advancement towards the goal of national revival.