On July 3, 2023, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the First World Sinologists Conference hosted by Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU). Marking the anniversary of this letter, the US Sinologists Conference (International Academic Seminar on US Sinology and Chinese Studies), themed "Contemporary Development of China from the Perspective of US Sinology," opened in Qingdao on the morning of July 22, 2024.
The conference was co-hosted by the China Association for International Exchange and BLCU's Center for World Sinology. The US Sinologists Conference follows the successful Balkan China Conference, North Africa Sinologists Conference, First Himalayan China Forum (South Asia Sinologists Conference), and Latin America Sinologists Conference. It is another important regional Sinologists conference hosted globally by the Center for World Sinology, themed "Mutual Learning Among Civilizations Between China and Foreign Countries." Seventeen renowned US Sinologists and over 100 scholars from dozens of domestic universities participated.
BLCU President Duan Peng, Qingdao Municipal Committee Member and Secretary of the Qingdao West Coast New Area Working Committee and District Committee Sun Yonghong, Researcher Xiao Lan from the China Association for International Exchange, Deputy Director Yuan Li from the Americas and Oceania Division of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, Director Zhang Ke from the Sinology Division, BLCU Assistant President Guo Peng, Chief Supervisor Yu Youxue of Hainan International College, and leaders from national ministries, Qingdao City, West Coast New Area relevant departments attended the opening ceremony. Convener of the World Sinologists Council and Director Xu Baofeng of BLCU's Center for World Sinology presided over the event.
Attending the conference were Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies Researcher and Boston College Professor Robert Ross, Princeton University Professor Lynn White, Indiana University Professor and Doctoral Supervisor in Folklore and Ethnomusicology, Deputy Director of the East Asian Studies Center Sue Tuohy, Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies Associate Professor and Boston University Researcher Grant F. Rhode, MIT Chinese Language and Culture Career Development Professor Tristan Brown, University of California, Berkeley Professor and former University of Sydney Language and Culture School Director Jeffrey Riegel, Thomas B. Gold Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Bryan W. Van Norden Professor at Vassar College, Peter Lorge Professor at Vanderbilt University, John Osburg Associate Professor at the University of Rochester, Judith Shapiro Director of the Master's Program in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development at American University, Keith N. Knapp Professor at The Citadel, Shana J. Brown Professor at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Timothy Webster Professor of International Law and Comparative Law at Western New England University, Brigid Vance Associate Professor at Lawrence University, Terry Kleeman Professor at Colorado College, Misha Tadd Associate Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Philosophy, Nankai University, and Director of the "Global Laozi" Research Center, along with over 100 scholars from dozens of domestic universities and research institutions, including BLCU Distinguished Professor and Editor-in-Chief of International Sinology Zhang Xiping and Vice President of the Chinese Association for Ethnic History Shen Weirong from the Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences at Tsinghua University.
Leaders' Addresses
BLCU President Duan Peng stated in his address that US Sinology and Chinese Studies have jointly built deep friendship and shared visions between China and the US. Generations of US Sinologists and Chinese scholars, with broad academic vision and open academic minds, have opened a new academic pattern for the transformation of Sinology and Chinese Studies in the new era. He emphasized that Chinese-style modernization and Chinese civilization empower each other, hoping participating scholars can achieve a more three-dimensional and comprehensive grasp of China's cultural genes through in-depth dialogue, based on the profound historical origins of Chinese civilization, to jointly explore the development direction of China in the new era. At the same time, he hopes the successful convening of this conference can build a broader academic platform for cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and the US, contributing cultural strength to promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of both countries. As a major university for US students studying in China and a cradle for world Sinologists, BLCU will continue to thoroughly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter, continuously composing new chapters and achieving new progress in China-foreign cultural exchanges, contributing university strength to better promoting mutual learning among civilizations.
Qingdao Municipal Committee Member, Secretary of the Qingdao West Coast New Area Working Committee and District Committee Sun Yonghong stated in his address that openness is a distinctive hallmark of Chinese-style modernization, and Qingdao West Coast New Area has been imbued with genes of openness since ancient times, possessing unique cultural charm, international vision, and open posture. US Sinology stands out in global Sinology, contributing cultural strength to promoting friendship between the peoples of China and the US. The convening of this conference provides an important opportunity to deepen cooperation and exchanges between China and the US, hoping participating scholars share the latest research achievements and jointly explore the development path of Sinology in the new era, experiencing the beautiful landscape of Chinese-style modernization.
Researcher Xiao Lan from the China Association for International Exchange stated that General Secretary Xi Jinping's proposed Global Civilization Initiative is an important public product provided by China to the international community following the Global Security Initiative and Global Development Initiative. Implementing it requires the joint efforts and collaboration of Sinologists from various countries. Reviewing 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter to the First World Sinologists Conference embodied the high importance and earnest expectations of the CPC and Chinese government for global Sinology and Sinologists. The China Association for International Exchange will continue to deepen cooperation with the Center for World Sinology to build high-end academic dialogue and exchange platforms, promoting mutual learning among civilizations. She hopes through this meeting to effectively promote the development of global Sinology, achieving cultural prosperity and contributing more wisdom and strength to building a community of shared future for mankind.
Convener of the US Sinologists Council of the World Sinologists Council Bryan W. Van Norden, on behalf of attending US Sinologists, delivered a speech. He expressed great honor to gather with numerous mainstream US Sinologists across the ocean as the convener of the US Sinologists Council. He pointed out that the world is facing numerous severe challenges today, making the immense power and prospects of constructive intellectuals particularly important. As an important part of intellectuals, Sinologists should actively play their due role, contributing to promoting understanding and exchanges among different cultures.
Chinese and American Scholars' Keynote Speeches
Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies Researcher and Boston College Professor Robert Ross, BLCU Distinguished Professor and Editor-in-Chief of International Sinology Zhang Xiping, Princeton University Public and International Affairs Emeritus Professor Lynn White, Tsinghua University Higher Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences Professor and Vice President of the China Society for Ethnic History Wei Rong Shen, Indiana University Professor and Doctoral Supervisor in Folklore and Ethnomusicology, Deputy Director of the East Asian Studies Center Sue Tuohy, and others delivered speeches.
Professor Robert Ross discussed "The US-China Competition in Asia," delving into the dynamic changes in East Asian power structures and their profound impact on regional security patterns. He argued that the essence of China-US relations is a fundamental great-power contradiction. China is no longer an emerging power but has firmly established its status as a strong power in East Asia, committed to adjusting the regional order to enhance its own security, while the US plays the role of maintaining the status quo, resisting change. He pointed out that China's military strength has significantly increased, its international economic position has improved, while the US faces multiple challenges. The divergent policy trends of China and the US make China's influence in East Asian international politics increasingly prominent. China-US relations are entering a sensitive and critical power transition phase, with rising risks of conflict escalation. Managing this process requires both sides to demonstrate restraint and compromise. For China, it should continue to maintain strategic composure, remain committed to long-term economic development, and complete the process of rejuvenation.
Professor Zhang Xiping discussed China-Europe exchanges, dividing them into two historical phases: from the late Ming to mid-Qing and from the late Qing onward. Using Marx's "world history view" to expand the research horizon of China's modern history beyond Western colonialism, he argued that China's modern history research should extend before Western colonialism. The early phase saw China independent and strong, providing civilizational nourishment to the world, while the later phase saw opposition between China and the West, with Western centrism thought and discourse systems becoming dominant. He believed that the late Ming currency reform made silver a world currency, promoting China's integration into modern economy, with changes being endogenous rather than coerced by the West. Meanwhile, Jesuits facilitated "Western learning eastward" and "Chinese learning westward," enriching knowledge systems of both East and West. From the late Ming to mid-Qing, China was not only the world economic center but its culture also profoundly influenced the European Enlightenment. He critiqued the "self-sanctification" theory of Euro-American culture, advocating a perspective of mutual learning among civilizations to review China-West development, providing new perspectives for reconstructing China-world relations in a global history view.
Professor Lynn White discussed "The 1970s-80s Start of China’s Rise in Local Rural and Suburban Industries," delving into China's rural economic development process in the 1970s-80s. He stated that this development not only profoundly changed the rural economic structure but also injected new momentum into the overall national economic growth. The core of this transformation lies in the dual drive of grassroots autonomy and institutional innovation. During this period, the advancement of agricultural mechanization and the widespread application of high-yield rice varieties released a large amount of rural labor and capital, creating favorable conditions for the rise of local industries. Grassroots cadres, with keen insight and bold spirit, autonomously promoted the establishment of modern factories. Despite facing some obstacles during the reform process, they steadfastly advanced reforms. This bottom-up industrialization model not only significantly enhanced rural economic vitality and productivity but also promoted nationwide industrial upgrading and economic structural adjustment. This development model holds important inspirations and references for other developing countries in economic transformation.
Professor Wei Rong Shen reflected and meticulously sorted the disciplinary positioning, research subjects, object scopes, methodological foundations, and relationships with other disciplines of Sinology, national studies, and contemporary Chinese studies. He pointed out that there is currently a rift between the three, which is a non-ideal academic state. Therefore, there is an urgent need to advocate "world Chinese studies" to integrate traditional Sinology, national studies, and regional studies, comprehensively and deeply researching China's ancient and modern civilizations. Professor Wei Rong Shen stated that "world Chinese studies" emphasizes cross-civilizational exchanges, aiming to promote global civilization dialogue through the "other." Despite the brilliant achievements of Western Sinology, its research objects have certain limitations; while North American "regional studies" are broad, their disciplinarity is relatively vague. At the same time, China's traditional national studies also need innovation to incorporate multi-ethnic civilization research. Finally, Professor Wei Rong Shen emphasized that the development of "world Chinese studies" should actively respond to General Secretary Xi Jinping's call, integrating tradition and modernity, advancing global academic exchanges, comprehensively showcasing the profound heritage and broad contemporary concerns of Chinese civilization, contributing to building a community of shared future for mankind.
Professor Sue Tuohy discussed "The Performance of Chinese Culture: Regional Music and Dance Dramas," profoundly analyzing new trends in China's cultural performance field—landscape dramas. She pointed out that landscape dramas, as a new form of local music and dance dramas, ingeniously integrate local characteristics, natural landscapes, and profound cultural heritage, vividly showcasing the colorful features of China through on-site performances. Through the harmonious symbiosis of music, dance, narrative, and natural environment, landscape dramas not only become new hotspots for public cultural experiences but also important carriers for cultural exchanges and inheritance. She emphasized that landscape dramas, as an emerging cultural phenomenon, have rapidly risen in the past 20 years, fully demonstrating local unique charm and cultural essence, reflecting the development of Chinese cultural performance arts. She summarized the important position of landscape dramas in Chinese cultural performance and pointed out that as case studies, landscape dramas hold significant meaning for understanding repetitive patterns and representative strategies in contemporary Chinese cultural performances. Finally, she called for more scholars to focus on this field, jointly exploring new dimensions of Chinese culture and contributing to the inheritance and development of outstanding Chinese traditional culture.
BLCU Distinguished Professor and Editor-in-Chief of International Sinology Zhang Xiping presided over the first half of the keynote speeches, while Nanjing Agricultural University Professor of Classics Translation and Overseas Sinology Research Center Director and Fujian Minjiang Scholar Lecture Professor Wang Yinquan presided over the second half.
This conference lasts two days, with 17 renowned US Sinologists and over 100 scholars from dozens of domestic universities jointly exploring themes such as "Ancient Chinese Thought Research and Dissemination," "Literature Translation and Research," "Chinese History and Culture Research," "Sinology History and Sinology Education Research," and "Chinese Politics and Economy."
In this high-level academic feast, the Center for World Sinology fully leveraged its strong appeal and aggregation in world Sinology and Chinese Studies, attracting scholars of world Sinology and Chinese Studies to gather for professional frontier discussions, constructing deeper and broader high-end academic exchange dialogue platforms through cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural listening and dialogue. The Center for World Sinology will continue to empower the academic development of world Sinology and Chinese Studies, promoting mutual learning among civilizations and building a community of shared future for mankind through academic practices.
As the world enters an era of unprecedented changes in a century, China's interactions with the world are filled with various opportunities and challenges. The Sinologists Conference fully mobilizes Sinologists as unique intellectual resources between two knowledge civilizations, contributing unique and rich intellectual strength to China's globalization thought system, overseas discourse system construction, and various Chinese-style modernization academic development fields. US Sinology research, as an important part of the global Sinology landscape, plays a crucial role in presenting and shaping Chinese-style modernization civilization globally, as well as innovating and constructing academic systems worldwide. This US Sinologists Conference, as the first regional annual gathering of US Sinologists, holds profound significance for coalescing and developing international Sinologists who understand and befriend China, disseminating outstanding Chinese traditional culture, telling Chinese stories to the world, further promoting mutual learning among civilizations between China and the US, and strengthening bilateral friendly cooperation.
(Edited by: Wen Wang)
