Rewriting world history puts China’s image and ‘cultural security’ at risk: party journal

In a recent warning, a prominent Communist Party journal has cautioned that radical reinterpretations of world and Chinese history without substantial evidence could jeopardize China's global reputation and national identity. There has been an increasing inclination to adopt a less Western-centered perspective on history in recent times, while the Chinese government has emphasized the notion that Chinese civilization boasts a lengthy and unbroken past.

However, simultaneously, a so-called pseudo-historical movement—casting suspicion on Western culture's origins or claiming that significant scientific breakthroughs were first discovered in China—has gained traction among certain factions.

This Monday, the party's theoretical journal Qiushi released an article criticizing this trend, asserting that it may jeopardize China's "cultural security and ideological security." According to the piece, "extreme pseudo-historical claims circulating online continue to propagate overseas, already undermining our nation's 'academic discourse power' and cultural image abroad."

The article highlighted some notable theories that challenge crucial aspects of ancient Greek history, which could strain ties between Beijing and Athens, along with other nations. These theories include assertions that Aristotle was a medieval fabrication or that Greece's mountainous geography could not have accommodated a substantial population and sophisticated society.

Qiushi began its critique with additional examples of these "exaggerated and implausible narratives," such as the contention that Mount Emei, a revered peak in Sichuan province, is actually the Alps and that the Yongle Encyclopaedia, commissioned by the 15th-century emperor bearing the same name, sparked modern Western civilization.

Chinese names for Mount Emei and the Alps share some similarities in pronunciation, leading some to argue that Western civilization emerged in China. The Yongle Encyclopaedia, or Yongle Dadian, was commissioned by the 15th-century emperor of that name. Numerous pseudo-histories argue that the accomplishments of the Industrial Revolution were copied directly from this work, suggesting that calculus and the steam engine were invented in China before being appropriated by the West.

The Chinese government has never endorsed these pseudo-histories, and authorities have become increasingly concerned about their growing popularity online. In the past month, several official media outlets, including the People’s Daily website and a social media account managed by Zhejiang’s provincial publicity department, published articles criticizing this trend.

The Qiushi article continued this theme, stating that some pseudo-historical narratives bear ethnic separatist tendencies and could offer a theoretical justification for disputing the unity of the Chinese nation.

The article also criticized proponents of pseudo-history for using the ethnic origins of rulers to determine whether a dynasty had the legitimacy to govern China. This often aligns with a form of Han nationalism that perceives the Manchu-led Qing dynasty (1644–1911) as an invading colonial regime that ousted China's Han rulers, the Ming (1368–1644).

Both factions espouse views that clash with China's official historical account. Han nationalists posit that China's decline in the 19th century stemmed from Manchu rule, while the official narrative attributes it to stagnation and a lack of openness. The Communist Party views itself as the lawful successor to both dynasties with jurisdiction over Xinjiang, Tibet, and Taiwan.

Beijing considers Taiwan an integral part of China and has not ruled out employing force to reunify it with the mainland. Most countries, including Taiwan's principal international partner, the United States, do not acknowledge the self-governed island as independent.

The article emphasized that the real-world impact of these claims is to unravel national identity, while the historical consensus underpinning the community of the Chinese nation risks fragmentation. Beijing regards ethnic affairs as a critical aspect of safeguarding China's territorial integrity, development, and stability, and President Xi Jinping has positioned the idea of "a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation" as central to this vision.

Last year, China banned several influential social media accounts promoting the pseudo-historical school and Han nationalism. Despite the purging of these accounts, related content continued to spread in a more decentralized manner. The article also noted that generative artificial intelligence is being utilized to generate pseudo-historical content on a large scale, potentially eroding public perceptions of history, particularly among teenagers.

The article cautioned that "algorithms must not be allowed to become a megaphone for these narratives" and urged that the models governing content recommendations on social media platforms incorporate "mainstream values."