The transformation of South East Asian studies in China: Sinocentric and de-Sinocentric paradigms

Abstract

ABSTRACT The issue of Sinocentrism has attracted growing scholarly attention in reviews regarding the state of South East Asian Studies in China. However, reports in recent decades have not addressed the ‘Sinocentric paradigm’ in further depth. It remains unclear how this research appears under this paradigm and what paradigmatic changes are happening in the field. To answer these questions, this article examines research published in relevant Chinese journals between 1980 and 2019 and selects thirty-three representative samples for demonstration. I argue that research into the social and cultural interactions between China and South East Asia shows that South East Asian Studies in China are undergoing a significant paradigm transition. The established Sinocentric paradigm present in discourses of the old conception of ‘Chinese colonialism’ and the newer one of ‘Chinese influence’ is increasingly challenged by an emerging de-Sinocentric paradigm. This is particularly visible in the fields of media and communication studies and studies of cross-border ethnicities. The transformation of the landscape of this Chinese scholarship deserves greater attention from academics from both inside and outside China.