appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Alcott Wei

Radically rewriting world and Chinese history without solid proof could threaten China’s international image and national identity, a leading Communist Party journal has warned.
There has been a growing trend to promote a less Western-centric view of history in recent years, while Beijing has also been keen to promote the idea that Chinese civilisation has a long and continuous history.
But at the same time, the so-called pseudo-historical school – which has cast doubt on the origins of Western culture or claimed key scientific advances originated in China – has become increasingly popular in some circles.
On Monday, the party’s theoretical journal Qiushi published an article criticising the trend. It warned that this could pose a threat to China’s own “cultural security and ideological security”.
“The extreme pseudo-historical claims proliferating online continue to spread overseas and have already damaged our country’s ‘academic discourse power’ and cultural image abroad,” the article said.
Some of the most eye-catching theories have cast doubt on key aspects of ancient Greek history, which risk damaging Beijing’s relationship with Athens and other governments.
These include claims that Aristotle was a medieval hoax or that Greece’s mountainous terrain could not have supported a large population and advanced society.
The Quishi article began with other examples of these “far-fetched and absurd narratives”, such as the argument that Mount Emei, a sacred peak in Sichuan province, “is the Alps” and “the Yongle Encyclopaedia gave rise to modern Western civilisation”.
The Chinese names for Mount Emei and the Alps (A Er Bei Si) have some similarities in the way they are pronounced, and some have seized on this as evidence that Western civilisation originated in China.
The Yongle Encyclopaedia, or Yongle Dadian, was commissioned by the 15th century emperor of that name.
Many pseudo-histories claim that the achievements of the Industrial Revolution were copied wholesale from the work, arguing that calculus and the steam engine originated in China before being stolen by the West.
The Chinese government has never expressed support for these pseudo-histories and the authorities have become increasingly wary about their growing popularity online.
Last month, several official media outlets, including the People’s Daily website and a social media account run by Zhejiang’s provincial publicity department, ran articles criticising the trend.
Continuing this theme, the Qiushi article said: “Some pseudo-historical narratives have ethnic separatist tendencies and could provide a theoretical basis for denying the unity of the Chinese nation.”
It criticised proponents of pseudo-history for using the ethnic origin of rulers to determine whether a dynasty had the legitimacy to rule China.
This often overlaps with a form of Han nationalism that regards the Manchu-led Qing dynasty (1644–1911) as an invading colonial regime after it overthrew the country’s Han rulers, the Ming (1368–1644).
Both groups hold views that run counter to China’s official view of history.
Han nationalists believe that China’s decline in the 19th century was due to Manchu rule, while the official line blames other factors such as stagnation and a lack of openness.
The Communist Party also regards itself as the full successor to both dynasties with sovereignty over Xinjiang, Tibet and Taiwan.
Beijing regards Taiwan as part of China and has never ruled out the use of force to reunite it with the mainland. Most countries, including Taiwan’s main international partner the United States, do not recognise the self-ruled island as independent.

“The practical consequence of such claims is to deconstruct national identity, while the historical consensus underpinning the community of the Chinese nation risks being fragmented,” the article added.
Beijing regards ethnic affairs as a key element in safeguarding China’s territorial integrity, development and stability, and President Xi Jinping has put the idea of “a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation” at the heart of this.
Last year, China banned a series of influential social media accounts that promoted the pseudo-historical school and Han nationalism.
Qiushi said that after those accounts were taken down, related content continued to spread in a more decentralised fashion.
The article also said generative artificial intelligence was being used to mass-produce pseudo-historical content and this could erode the way the public, particularly teenagers, thought about history.
It warned that “algorithms must not be allowed to become a megaphone for these narratives” and said the models used to recommend content to social media users should incorporate “mainstream values”.


China cuts US Treasury holdings to 18-year low amid global bond sell-off

China airports climb global-connectivity ranking as international routes rise: OAG report

Huawei unveils latest tech to boost AI power in push to break China’s Nvidia reliance

Hong Kong stocks decline after Fed raises interest rates and signals more to come

China

Rewriting world history puts China’s image and ‘cultural security’ at risk: party journal

Some pseudo-historians claim Mount Emei (pictured) in China's Sichuan province “is the Alps” because their Chinese names are similar. Photo: Xinhua

One notorious pseudo-historical claim is that Aristotle was a hoax. Photo: Bettmann Archive

Claims casting doubt on ancient Greece risk upsetting their heirs. Photo: EPA

23,000 bronzes, 14 years, 60 volumes: how China is mapping lost heritage held abroad

Professor Zhu Fenghan is the lead editor of a 60-volume compendium documenting more than 23,000 ancient Chinese bronze artefacts lost abroad. The Collection of Chinese Bronzes in Overseas Collections is the product of a painstaking 14-year investigation. Photo: Xinhua

Zhu Fenghan poses with the 60-volume work. Photo: Xinhua

Zhu Fenghan and his team examine bronze artefacts outside China for their survey. Photo: People’s Daily

Did Aristotle exist? China targets pseudo-history myths claiming West stole civilisations

The Acropolis in Athens. A social media account linked to a Chinese provincial government has criticised pseudo-historical theories denying the existence of figures such as Aristotle. Photo: EPA

A statue of Aristotle at his birthplace Stageira in Greece. Photo: Shutterstock 

Why Chinese media says US historians are giving ‘ammunition’ to separatists

Women dressed in traditional costumes brave  sub-zero temperatures during a visit to Beijing’s Forbidden City on March 5. Photo: Robert Ng

News

Politics

Article warns that claims ancient Greece was a hoax or the Industrial Revolution originated in China have already hurt the country’s image


Article warns that claims ancient Greece was a hoax or the Industrial Revolution originated in China have already hurt the country’s image.


Chinese history

History

Qiushi

Rewriting world history puts China’s image and ‘cultural security’ at risk: party journal

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Article warns that claims ancient Greece was a hoax or the Industrial Revolution originated in China have already hurt the country’s image

Article warns that claims ancient Greece was a hoax or the Industrial Revolution originated in China have already hurt the country’s image