China historical memory

China has long leaned into historical narratives in policymaking. Now Chinese officials are increasingly resorting to emphasizing the negative histories of their adversaries.

The president’s speech has a clear goal of boosting Chinese people’s declining confidence amid the past difficult years.

“In terms of China, the dominant storyline is the surveillance state has won; China is a lost cause. My book shows that this isn’t the case.”

Vietnamese often speak of a long history of domination at Chinese hands, while Chinese youths are taught that Vietnamese territory was previously part of China.

Why does the Chinese Communist Party leader make a point of celebrating China’s most famous protest movement?

In both China and Vietnam, the governments have deliberately tried to bury memories of their 1979 war.

The CCP has always been invested in avoiding the fate of its Soviet counterpart. But Chinese leaders’ lessons from the Soviet collapse have changed over the years.

With tensions rising in the Indo-Pacific, Beijing’s new triumphalism takes aim at one-time ally U.S., while Washington and its regional partners embrace former foe Japan’s historical revisionism.

The party’s embrace of tailored history has accelerated ahead of the 100th anniversary of the CCP’s founding.

The Xi’an Incident changed the course of Chinese history.

"Particular memories of the past have been cultivated and popularized in China to justify the claims and actions of the current leadership."

80 years after the Nanjing Massacre, historical issues continue to haunt China-Japan relations.

Revisiting the official verdict on the morning of June 4, 1989 would be dangerous for China's Communist Party.

China and Japan have a thousand year history of fighting each other. What if that pattern repeats itself?

50 years later, China still has yet to come to terms with Mao's Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.

Convergences and divergences between America and China tell us a lot about each country's current trajectory.

Over 120 years after his birth, China still debates what Mao's true legacy is.

May 16, 1966 marked the start of the Cultural Revolution -- but don't expect China to publicize the anniversary.

When will Asians be able to celebrate shared memories of war and colonialism?

Xi Jinping wants more historical research done -- but only on topics that fit the Party's narrative surrounding the war.

With the publication of its latest map, China has declared “mapware” in the Western Pacific.

The Diplomat speaks with Zheng Wang about the role of history in Chinese politics, including foreign policy.