Middle kingdom mentalities: Chinese visions of national characteristics in the 1990's

Abstract

China has a venerable tradition of intellectual concern with the welfare of the country and its people - youmin youguo. The 1980s and 1990s have witnessed something of a revival in writing on the future prospects and hopes of the Chinese nation. At the beginning of the new millennium, Chinese intellectuals are heralding the dawn of a 'Chinese century'. The aim of this paper is to provide a preliminary analysis of this emerging body of literature. We will attempt to outline the general parameters of the 'Middle Kingdom Mentality'. Key terms in this discourse, such as 'zhongguo', 'minzu', 'wenming', and 'wenhua', will be examined in relation to their significance in the overall discourse. We will argue that this discourse is an extension of the 'Chinese Enlightenment', an ongoing reaction to colonial discourse and the 'challenges' of modernity. By analysing these texts we are able to gather a sense of what, in the minds of intellectuals and officials, a modern twenty-first century China may be like.