EACS-2016. Book of Abstracts

Modern History 21st Biennial Conference of the European Association for Chinese Studies 134 In this paper, I investigate a set of lyrics(ci) written on the eve of the signing of the Sino-Japanese BasicTreaty (30 November 1940) -- Zhao Zunyue’s Zhegutian: Palace-style poetry ( 鷓鴣天宮體 ). Zhao was a member of the KMT Central Political Committee under Wang Jingwei. He was a proponent of the Peace Movement and a key figure in the founding of the RNG (1940–1945). I claim that Zhao Zunyue's parentage helps explain the role he chose to play under occupation. Zhao Zunyue’s father, Zhao Fengchang, had been well-known for assisting Zhang Zhidong in the Southeast Mutual Protection Movement (1900) and had been in charge of the ‘xi yin tang negotiation’ in Shanghai in 1912. I argue that Zhao Zunyue's habitus was thus structured by his family’s tendency towards appeasement. Moreover, Zhao Zunyue was a student of the Late Qing lyricist Kuang Zhouyi, an adherent of the Changzhou School. This school championed the 'hidden bitterness' mode of palace-style ci, in which a lyricist would express critiques obliquely through allegory. I argue that the ci written by Zhao on the eve of the signing of the Sino-Japanese Basic Treaty were an oblique commentary on the treaty itself. In these texts, Zhao's references to longing between lovers and promises of faithfulness are symbolic of trust, suspicion and trickery in Sino-Japanese relations. Zhao adapted the traditional trope of the devoted official whose loyalty to the emperor is like a wife's love for her husband to configure the relationship between the Wang regime and Japan, in several different modes: ridiculous, in a ci about rituals to the gods; raucous, in a ci about the tradi- tion of teasing newlyweds in the bridal chamber; and remorseful, in a ci in which a new wife believes she has married the wrong man. The analysis of this set of lyrics in the specific historical context of the Wang Jingwei regime demonstrates that ci is a medium that makes use of traditional allegorical associations. Lomanov Alexander (Institute of Far Eastern Studies RAS) Yin Haiguang’s Liberal Reappraisal of Chinese Culture Key words: Western liberalism, May 4th Movement tradition, Confucianism, KMT The paper discusses the evolution of interpretation of Chinese tradition by liberal thinker Yin Haiguang (1919–1969). In the late 1940s he praisedWestern liberalism for advancing China’s progress through accel- erated destruction of the old culture and social institutions backed by Confucian orthodoxy. He encouraged Chinese liberals to “rescue China” by opening new perspectives of national development and reviving the spirit of the May 4th Movement. After moving to Taiwan Yin Haiguang translated contemporary foreign books in social sciences to promote the ideas of science and democracy. He claimed that economic freedom was a necessary condition for political freedom. Yin Haiguang criticized the KMT for using Chinese tradition to reinforce non-democratic political system. His anti-traditionalist stance followed the footsteps of the May 4th Movement, Yin made no distinction between orthodox Confucianism and New Confucian searches for adaptation of Chinese morality toWestern ideas of science and democracy. He warned that protection of “historical culture” means restoration of the past and resistance to social progress. This uncompromising approach softened in The Reappraisal of Cultural Change in Modern China (1966). Yin Haiguang explained that “moral reconstruction” was a necessary requirement of development of modern society and criticized excessive anti-traditionalist bias of the May 4th Movement’s activists. He admitted the possibility of borrowing from Chinese tradition, especially from the ethics of the early Confucianism, based on preconditions of its analytical criticism and adaptation to modern society. Yin indicated that effort at accommodation and adjustment of Chinese traditional morality was targeted at integration with universal culture and morals. He concluded that rejection of authoritarian politics should not lead to negation of cul- tural tradition even if an undemocratic government uses tradition as the tool of strengthening its legitimacy. Nakajima Chieko (Assumption College) Tools of Empire, Missions of Modernity: Public Doctors in Colonial Taiwan Key words: colonial medicine, medical history, history of Taiwan, public health, doctors This study discusses public doctors (kōi 公医 ), who were in charge of local public health and medical care in colonial Taiwan. By closely examining the public-doctor system, this study seeks to understand how