The Age of Openness: China Before Mao

Professor Dikotter from the University of London has collected and analysed abundant secondary literature to dispel the widely-held belief that the history of contemporary China between the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911 and the rise of communism in 1949 was an age of political, social, and economic turbulence. According to him, the history of the Republican China represents an unique age of openness in which internationally diverse cultures were everywhere, ranging from coastal cities to the rural hinterland. This 6-chapter book aims at demonstrating that China in the first half of the twentieth century was in fact vibrant and cosmopolitan, particularly in four key aspects including governance, borders, minds, and markets. The Nationalist Party is portrayed by Professor Dikotter as a staunch advocate of western democracy, penal administration, and judicial reform in both national and provincial level instead of being a fragile and corrupt political party. Due to political patronage and protection from foreigners and regional governors (P.25), freedom of publication and association proliferated to sustain democratic debate. People from all walks of life acquired a global outlook and travelled beyond China. Many of the Diaspora and indigenous Chinese were bicultural and bilingual with polyglot knowledge (P.60) and they became more influential in arts, religion, politics, business, education, and philanthropy. Besides, Chinese society was more cosmopolitan with huge presence of foreigners in treaty ports such as Shanghai and Tianjin. Professor Dikotter has posited that foreigners were powerful agents that contributed to the flows of "people, goods, technologies and ideas" (P.51) between China and the outside world. The meaning of openness in the Republican China can be represented by proactive participation into international political affairs such as the First World War, the League of Nation and the Hague Court. Moreover, economy was more international with phenomenal growth in foreign trade and innovations in money and finance. A more open and prosperous market also enormously induced high growth and change in transportation and material culture (P.89). Professor Dikotter concludes that China under Mao was a radical reversal of being openness to international connections but the Republican China had witnessed an "unprecedented intensification" (P.100) towards openness. The Open door policy in the Communist China since 1978 can be interpreted as a mere rebuilding of international connections that had occurred in China since the first half of the twentieth century. This book is not lengthy and Professor Dikotter provides readers with fresh insights into the history of contemporary China. However, his view towards the Republican China certainly leads to fierce debate, particularly from politicians and historians in mainland China who might find it difficult to accept his view that the openness experience of the Republican China period can be

"The Age of Openness" is on the ROROTOKO list of cutting-edge intellectual nonfiction. Professor Dikotter's book interview ran here as cover feature on June 5, 2009.