Chinese View Research Articles

A Study of the Poetic Structure in Mao Zonggang"s Comments on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms

With regard to the structural problems of Chinese Ming and Qing Dynasties" novels, under the influence of Western causal traditions and their structural views, there has always been a saying of “episodic”. However, if we take the traditional Chinese view of nature, we can see the poetic structure of Chinese classical novels. Mao Zonggang revealed this in the practice of the commentary of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He commented on the external structure of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and conveyed the concept of its historical cycle with a “circular” structure; And he sorted out the sub-structure chapters of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms by adopting a repetitive(反复), uplifting (起兴), dualistic(对偶) and other poetic way to pinpoint the ideals of Confucian politics. This paper believes that Mao Zonggang"s commentary on the structure of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms reflects a poetic structure that is different from the West. This kind of poetic structure takes the classical tradition of Chinese literary narrative, and combines lyrics with historical narratives to form a new tradition. The “weaving” of structure takes on the dual mission of “Zhu”(杼) and “Xu”(序), making the narrative of chinese classical literature combines the tradition of “Shi Yan Zhi”(诗言志) and the tradition of “Wen Yi Zai Dao”(文以载道) through the poetic structure, forming the national style of “singing story”. 关于中国明清小说的结构问题，在西方因果论传统及其结构观的影响下，一直以来存在“缀段”的说法。但是以中国传统的自然论观之，则可见出中国古典小说的诗性结构特征。毛宗岗在《三国演义》的评点实践中对此有所揭示，他点评《三国演义》总体结构外部圆融统一，借“圆形”结构传达其历史循环之观念；他梳理出《三国演义》具体章节之间采取反复、起兴、对偶等诗意方式连接，以此寄托其儒家政治之理想。本文认为，毛宗岗关于《三国演义》结构的评点，体现出了不同于西方的具有民族特色的诗性结构观。这种诗性结构观承载了中国文学叙事的古典传统，将抒情与史叙揉在一起铸成新法，以结构之“编织”承担起“杼”和“序”的双重使命，使得中国的古典文学叙事借助诗性结构融合了言志传统和载道传统，形成了“歌唱故事”的民族风格。

THE VIRTUE OF A HISTORIAN: A DIALOGUE BETWEEN HERMAN PAUL AND CHINESE THEORISTS OF HISTORY

ABSTRACTThis article reflects on the role of scholarly virtues in the Chinese theory of history and compares it with the recent approach proposed by Herman Paul. The first three parts reconstruct what might be called a “Chinese virtue epistemology of history,” starting from Confucian views on sincerity in writing history and then turns to concepts of an “unbiased mind” and the “responsibility of a historian.” The latter ideas were developed by Zhang Xuecheng (1738–1801), who introduced the concept of “the virtue of a historian (shide),” treating it as a sympathetic understanding toward the narrated characters. Interpretations of shide changed along with modern Chinese theorists of history, some of whom elaborated on it in the positivist manner. Thereafter, the article outlines Paul's view on the function of epistemic virtues in the formation of “historical persona.” In the summary, I will draw upon the main similarities and differences between Paul's position and the traditional Chinese view in order to point out the main directions for further research on this topic.

Like Throwing an Egg against a Stone? Administrative Litigation in the People’s Republic of CHina

On April 4, 1989, the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) passed the Administrative Litigation Law (ALL). This law allows PRC citizens to sue government officials who violate the law in the course of administrative agency activity. The possibility that millions of government officials may be forced to defend their actions in court represents a sharp departure from traditional Chinese views toward the relationship among government, courts, and law. For example, the ALL may expand judicial author- ity, curb administrative discretion, and provide important new procedural rights to natural and legal persons in China. This article will examine the PRC administrative litigation sys- tem which was modeled after other legal systems, but still embodies distinctive features of China’s current political structure. The first section outlines the historical background of administrative litigation in China, while the second section analyzes the ALL and traces its legislative history.

Teaching Indigenous children in Taiwan: Tensions, complexities and opportunities

Taiwan’s Indigenous children are culturally and linguistically different and socially and economically marginalized compared to their Han Chinese peers. For decades, education assimilated Indigenous people into the mainstream society by undermining their languages, cultures and traditional spaces. Since the 1990s, multicultural policies have been cast as the remedy for the inequalities and injustices they experienced and, since 2016, Taiwan has started the process of reconciliation and transitional justice. The purpose of this article is twofold. It first discusses whether these new policies and initiatives have been more accommodating and friendlier to Indigenous students, or whether they still clash with Indigenous visions of and needs for a sustainable and just society. Following this, the article focuses on non-Indigenous teachers who work with Indigenous students, and what knowledge, skills and attitudes they have and/or lack. An ethnographic study conducted with 23 Indigenous representatives shows that Indigenous people are dissatisfied with state education due to its culturally insensitive and contextually irrelevant and irresponsive curriculum, pedagogy and school environment, which are shaped around Chinese values and a Chinese view of history, language, knowledge and way of engaging with the ‘Other’. The participants discuss their own vision of education that can help address the problematic experiences and outcomes of Indigenous students, and ‘rewrite’ education to eliminate tensions between Chinese and Indigenous values, histories, knowledge(s) and other aspects. The implications of the tensions between Indigenous and non-indigenous visions of education are then presented for a rewriting of the curriculum and retraining of non-indigenous teachers to engage with Indigenous children and communities in a culturally respectful and ethical manner.

The cell line ontology-based representation, integration and analysis of cell lines used in China

BackgroundThe Chinese National Infrastructure of Cell Line stores and distributes cell lines for biomedical research in China. This study aims to represent and integrate the information of NICR cell lines into the community-based Cell Line Ontology (CLO).ResultsWe have aligned, represented, and added all identified 2704 cell line cells in NICR to CLO. We also proposed new ontology design patterns to represent the usage of cell line cells as disease models by inducing tumor formation in model organisms, and the relations between cell line cells and their expressed or overexpressed genes or proteins. The resulting CLO-NICR ontology also includes the Chinese representation of the NICR cell line information. CLO-NICR was merged into the general CLO. To serve the cell research community in China, the Chinese version of CLO-NICR was also generated and deposited in the OntoChina ontology repository. The usage of CLO-NICR was demonstrated by DL query and knowledge extraction.ConclusionsIn summary, all identified cell lines from NICR are represented by the semantics framework of CLO and incorporated into CLO as a most recent update. We also generated a CLO-NICR and its Chinese view (CLO-NICR-Cv). The development of CLO-NICR and CLO-NIC-Cv allows the integration of the cell lines from NICR into the community-based CLO ontology and provides an integrative platform to support different applications of CLO in China.

Chinese views of global economic governance

China’s rise and America’s global retreat have made China’s role in global governance more important than ever before. By analysing Chinese (mainly academic) literature, this article studies contemporary Chinese views of global economic governance. It finds that the 2008 financial crisis is a notable point of the Chinese discourse. In addition, dialogue platforms – the G20 in particular – rather than key institutions of global economic governance such as International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and Word Trade Organization (WTO) win overwhelming attention in the Chinese discourse. Chinese views of global economic governance also highly value the role of the state, while paying less attention to Non Governmental Organisations (NGO) and civil society. Overall, this article highlights a diverse, shifting and sometimes contradictory Chinese discourse on global economic governance, which helps to develop a more accurate understanding of China’s ambition in global economic governance.

Contemporary Chinese view on the history of economic thought (Reflections on the book)

Contemporary Chinese view on the history of economic thought (Reflections on the book)

Social Influence on Green Consumerism: Country and Gender Comparisons between China and the United States

China's rapid economic growth and population momentum have precipitated an environmental crisis on an unprecedented scale. Consequently, green consumerism is a hot topic leaving marketing managers looking for ways to influence green buying behaviors. One way to examine this problem is to compare the effect of social influence on green behaviors against countries that have experienced a similar spike in pollution owing to rapid development (e.g., the United States). Unfortunately, a gap exists in the literature with respect to how social influence impacts green purchasing behaviors. This researchexamines the issue across country and gender between China and the United States. The findings show that Chinese consumers are indeed more susceptible to social influence with respect to purchasing behaviors. The Chinese view social influence as a multidimensional construct with both cognitive and behavioral components. Chinese females were significantly different from other respondents with respect to cognitive and behavioral social influence.

Strategic Stability in Cyberspace: A Chinese View

As the strategic importance of cyber security increases, the question of how to foster a stable cyber order compatible with the current international order is one of the most urgent issues for the international community. International cyber governance and strategic cyber stability maintenance have thus become two emerging fields in international studies. Generally, there are three states of stability in cyberspace: stable, delicately stable, and unstable. To promote the study of cyber order and enhance rational decision-making, it is necessary to adopt a cyclic perspective and fully explore the transition of cyberspace among the three states. International cyber governance is mainly about managing the cycle of transition of cyberspace and designing robust institutions to prevent instability; in these institutions, international norms, rules, and law will be made as essential guidance for cyber behavior of individual countries. As existing human knowledge and theoretical frameworks are the basis of studies on cyber strategic stability, it is imperative that effective dialogue and joint research among all international stakeholders be conducted on issues of their common concern. This helps to shape the strategic thinking and policy deliberation of individual countries on cyberspace and foster an international order that is conducive to cyber strategic stability.

Consultation and Joint Endeavor Among All Stakeholders: China’s Stance on Multilateralism and the United Nations

Multilateralism is one of the key notions in China’s diplomatic discourse. Unlike the European Union, China tends to define multilateralism as a consultation process amongst all related members of the international community, so that their fundamental interests and appeals can be fully heard and considered. In the Chinese view, multilateralism features inclusive participation, UN leadership, and the goal of democratization of international relations. It is believed that, as a historical trend, multilateralism is not only crucial for tackling various global challenges, but it also helps foster a favorable international environment for China’s sustainable development. Multilateralism has been deeply ingrained in China’s foreign policy, exemplified by the country’s increasing support for the UN over the past two decades. Notably, both China’s financial contribution to the UN and the number of personnel sent on UN peacekeeping missions have grown rapidly in recent years. Also, China has been advocating the notion of a “community of shared future for mankind” on UN platforms, hoping to share its experience of development with the world. As China deepens its engagement with international organizations, however, the United States is making every effort to constrain China’s influence in the UN. In the future, China needs to work closely with supporters of multilateralism, especially developing countries, so as to play a greater role in the UN.

Perspectives on World and Regional Orders: Australian, Chinese and German Views

This article offers some reflections from diverse standpoints on actual and potential developments, at global and regional levels, and possible ramifications. The article has three main sections. The first section deals with the crisis of liberalism and its implications for peace and security. The second section examines some current controversial issues and cooperation between the EU, Australia and China. The third section analyses the effects of populist movements in Europe on China and Australia.

The Origin of Management Ideas in Sociology in Chinese Society at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries

n the beginning of the 20th century, China faced the need to look for new ways of development and, like other countries, turned towards the resources provided by social sciences in the attempt to comprehend and interpret this experience. This article reviews and analyzes Chinese sociological thought of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on management issues. The subject of this work is the genesis of management ideas in sociology in Chinese society. The material for the study comprises the works of thinkers, publicists, and political figures of that time who set themselves the task of applying sociological theories to the development of the country. The main problem discussed in the article is the ratio of Western and native Chinese views and ideas in sociological approaches to the study of managerial processes in China. The analysis of materials from that time shows three different tendencies in the formation of management ideas in sociology; identifying the prerequisites for a new science to be used in traditional ideas about management, demonstrating the predominance of Western science over Chinese traditional sciences, and the attempts at synthesizing the first two tendencies. The conclusion of the article is that, by the time of the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, the nascent management ideas in sociology in China were a heterogeneous fusion of Western and traditional Chinese concepts, and was closely related to other sciences such as political science, sociology, philosophy, etc. During this period, traditional ideas that were largely distinguished by speculation and ideology bore the function of an ideological “shield” to preserve the integrity of the Chinese nation in the context of the growing influence of Western powers on Chinese society.

Convergence or divergence? Visions of world order and the Russian-Chinese relationship

ABSTRACTScholars studying Sino-Russian relations remain divided regarding the extent to which Russia’s and China’s visions of international order converge. The article addresses this question by comparing how Russian and Chinese elites interpret the evolution of world order. My analysis shows that Russian and Chinese views on world order partly overlap and partly diverge. Russia and China’s defiance of Western primacy in international politics provides a basis for cooperation. Both countries distrust the West and oppose some policies pursued by the United States and its European allies. At the same time, leaders in Moscow and Beijing do not fully agree on what alternative norms they would like to promote. While joint declarations paper over this divergence, the differences are more pronounced in the patterns of Russian and Chinese practical engagement with global governance and their attitudes towards globalization and anti-globalization movements. The Chinese leadership appears to be genuinely interested in contributing to political-economic stability, while Moscow seeks first and foremost the symbolic confirmation of its great-power status and does not mind playing the role of an occasional spoiler. The article concludes that these differences have the potential to slow down, if not derail, long-term cooperation between Russia and China.

The Marriage View of Contemporary Chinese under the Interpretation of Marriage Law (3)

The Marriage View of Contemporary Chinese under the Interpretation of Marriage Law (3)

Islam by smartphone: reading the Uyghur Islamic revival on WeChat

ABSTRACTThe official Chinese view of the Uyghur Islamic revival is overwhelmingly dominant. Because of the extraordinary measures taken to shield from international view the actual developments in the region and to silence Uyghur voices, we lack a clear sense of what it is to be a Muslim in contemporary Xinjiang. This article explores debates within Uyghur society about faith, politics and identity as they are revealed through the social media platform WeChat. It aims to disrupt the dominant narratives and enable new understandings of the changing patterns of religiosity and violence in the region. It focuses on the use of social media to access affective experiences of religion, projects of self-fashioning, and the new geographies of knowledge and experience formed as Uyghurs turned to the readily available scripts circulating in the wider Islamic world and adapted them to a very local sense of crisis.

Perils of speed dating: an Australian success story in Chinese outbound tourism

ABSTRACTThis paper provides insights and lessons about how Western tourism operators can build and maintain business-to-business relationships with Chinese tourism providers. The case analyses how Tangalooma Island Resort Pty Ltd approached the challenge of developing business networks and how they have sustained this activity for over a decade to become a major destination for Chinese visitors to Australia. While there is no shortage of research on the Chinese notion of guanxi, this study uses a novel multi-dimensional cultural intelligence perspective to synthesise Chinese and Australian views on the drivers of long-term commercial success. The frameworks and insights provided make a valuable and timely contribution to our understanding of how Western firms can approach China tourism opportunities, and importantly, provide lessons on the nuances of effective relationship development between Western and Chinese individuals and firms. This critical single case study highlights the importance of business negotiation and need for deepening cultural logic with appropriate pacing by key protagonists in the Western firm. Nurturing and growing interpersonal cultural skills is fundamental and helps build inter-firm bonds, resource ties and activity links. This is discussed using the actors–activities–resources model promoted within the context of industrial marketing and purchasing. Future research could extend the findings through additional case studies, or further empirical validation.

Traditional Chinese Views on Education as Perceived by International Students in China: International Student Attitudes and Understandings

For decades, the Confucian heritage culture (CHC) learner phenomenon has aroused the interest of researchers in different areas. However, few studies have focused on the attitudes of international students who study in the Chinese context. This article, therefore, explores how international students perceive traditional Chinese views on education, which are mostly embedded in Confucianism. Using questionnaires and semistructured interviews, the study investigated student attitudes and their recognition of specific educational viewpoints and factors, which act to produce such perceptions. Results show that international students studying in China had positive responses to most traditional Chinese views on education and that the traditional concepts of learning were respected and understood. However, it was the role of teachers within CHC that was the least favorably received. In addition, student attitudes and understandings were in response to individual, contextual, and cultural factors, and positively correlated with their home country, major, and level of education. This article concludes that positive attitudes and perceptions of traditional Chinese views on education by international students occur when the core values of educational philosophies from different cultures are shared also by CHC and that there is a strong influence from the source culture on views of the target culture. By implication, a good knowledge of Chinese learning culture and mutual communication are significant factors for both teachers and students.

Chinese views of the United States: evidence from Weibo

Abstract We study Chinese attitudes toward the United States, and secondarily toward Japan, Russia, and Vietnam, by analyzing social media discourse on the Chinese social media site, Weibo. We focus separately on a general analysis of attitudes and on Chinese responses to specific international events involving the United States. In general, we find that Chinese netizens are much more interested in US politics than US society. Their views of the United States are characterized by deep ambivalence; they have remarkably favorable attitudes toward many aspects of US influence, whether economic, political, intellectual, or cultural. Attitudes toward the United States become negative when the focus turns to US foreign policy – actions that Chinese netizens view as antithetical to Chinese interests. On the contrary, attitudes toward Japan, Russia, and Vietnam vary a great deal from one another. The contrast between these differentiated Chinese views toward the United States and other countries, on the one hand, and the predominant anti-Americanism in the Middle East, on the other, is striking.

The Gap in Viewing China’s Rise between Chinese Youth and Their Asian Counterparts

ABSTRACTUsing a mixed-methods approach, this article surveys and compares how Chinese youth view China’s rise with how their Asian counterparts do. The quantitative analysis uses data from the Asian Student Survey to identify the differences in perception of China’s rise between Chinese and Asian youth. Qualitative interviewing is undertaken to probe and assess the reasons behind the gap. The results show that Chinese youth are more optimistic about political stability and nationalism accompanying China’s rise. Nevertheless, they are open to acknowledge a variety of social problems in the wake of economic growth. With regard to China’s international influence, most Chinese youth have a firm faith in China’s peaceful rise, but they also perceive threats from other countries that are normally ignored in the China threat thesis. Chinese youth tend to attribute the negative evaluations of China among Asian counterparts to external reasons rather than see them as reflections of China’s ‘problematic’ foreign policy. Interview materials show why and how Chinese foreign policy is justified among Chinese young people. They open a door for outsiders to understand Chinese public opinion toward international politics.

Towards Global Justice with Chinese Characteristics

This paper aims to contextualise China’s own understanding of global justice in global governance. The paper does not only uncover China’s traditional understanding of justice and global justice as purveyors of order and stability, it also analyses the very pragmatic and instrumental Chinese views on the global institutional order that should be conducive to that ideal. This pragmatic and instrumental stance is obvious in China’s support for a restrictive understanding of the sovereignty concept; ambiguous support for a reform of the global governance architecture; and preference for non-binding settlements to resolve international disputes. The paper demonstrates that China’s approach to and appreciation of the South China Sea Arbitration is exemplary thereof. The paper also argues that there is a real momentum for the EU to further engage with China in support of the strengthening global justice.