Chinese Perceptions of Europe before 1949: Perspectives from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

Abstract

This paper analyses, whether history and culture from pre-1911 China influence and shape China-EU policy today. It argues that although the People`s Republic of China claims to have turned a page after 1949, some diplomatic traditions with respect to Europe are still valid. Instead of only making broad assumptions about the nature of these traditions, it is recommended to analyze more closely the perceptions of Chinese and European agents alike, but focus particularly on the Chinese agents and on the “contact zones” in which the mutual European-Chinese perceptions were coined. It will be the research in the field of diplomatic strategy combined with personal experiences of Chinese and European agents that will turn out the most notable results in this somewhat underresearched but vital field of international history.