The Invention Of China by Bill Hayton
Argues that the notion of a timeless, unified Chinese nation was largely constructed in the 19th and 20th centuries through encounters with Western and Japanese ideas of nationhood, history, and territory. By tracing how key terms, maps, and ethnic categories were coined, translated, and politicized, it shows how a multiethnic empire was reframed as a bordered nation-state and that identity retrojected into the distant past. It links these inventions to modern nationalism and foreign policy—especially maritime claims in the South China Sea—inviting a rethink of continuity, sovereignty, and belonging in East Asia.
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- Published
- 2020
- Nationality
- British
- Length
- Medium
- Pages
- 320
- Original Language
- English
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(4.0)
- Alternate Titles
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