Defining China: State, Nation, and Sovereignty in the Long Twentieth Century

Based on her forthcoming book, Du examines how China, Chinese nationalism and Sino-foreign relations have been shaped by the multifaceted concept of guo—a term that meant “dynastic state” in classical Chinese but has been used to signify the modern “nation-state” since the mid-nineteenth century. By mapping the conceptual terrain that has shaped—and continues to shape—the entanglement between China and the European-derived, American-led international order, this book offers a distinct perspective on China’s trajectory in the long twentieth century: from the Qing empire (1644-1911) as a nationless state, to the Republic of China (1912-1949) as an ethno-civic-nation-in-aspiration, and finally to the People’s Republic of China as a nation defined by the state. It also provides a case study of how global interconnectedness has interacted with pre-existing local ideas.

Mara Du is an associate professor of history at Cornell University. She received a B.A. in sociology and M.A. in history from Peking University, and a Ph.D. in history from New York University. Her first monograph examines the Chinese family (jia), with particular attention to the state-sponsored parent–child hierarchy in premodern and modern China. Her forthcoming book explores the Chinese state (guo) by tracing evolving notions of sovereignty in China over the past century and a half.