Newspeak And Newthink: China'S "Rejuvenation" Of Its Memory eBook

This book investigates how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) constructs and deploys a powerful politics of memory — reshaping historical narratives, redefining national identity, and reinforcing its political legitimacy. Through patriotic education, curated exhibitions, school textbooks, TV documentaries, and films, the state crafts a selective view of the past to support its vision of national 'rejuvenation' and global resurgence.

The book traces this dynamic from ancient Confucian historiography to the disruptions of Western imperialism, the Communist Revolution, and the post-Tiananmen era. It examines how memory is produced, taught, and ritualised in contemporary China, drawing on cultural memory theory and a rich array of real-world examples. Special focus is placed on how official narratives are framed in institutions like museums, classrooms, and public commemorations.

By offering a clear and accessible exploration of China's evolving relationship with its past, Newspeak and Newthink provides crucial insight into the ideological foundations of the CCP's domestic and international strategies. It is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how historical imagination becomes an instrument in shaping one of the world's most influential powers.

Contents:

• Preface
• About the Author
• Introduction
• China's Memory Fields:
  • Memory and History
  • History in China
  • The Conundrum of Modernity
  • The People's Republic of China's Farewell to Confucius
  • Tiananmen 1989, and After
• Teaching Memory:
  • A Closer Look at Teaching Memory
• The CCP's Politics of Memory:
  • The CCP's Politics of Memory Today
  • The Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation
  • The Fruit from China's Memory Fields
• Bibliography
• Index

Readership:This book is ideal for graduate and postgraduate students, academics, journalists, and professionals with a personal or professional interest in modern and ancient Chinese history, politics, international relations, and geopolitics. It may also appeal to readers interested in memory studies, psychology and politics, myths and politics, and the politics of memory.