EACS-2016. Book of Abstracts

East-West Contacts & Perceptions 21st Biennial Conference of the European Association for Chinese Studies 154 In this paper, based on the solid collection of the archive materials, a part of which has not been introduced before, the author considers the role which the Russian imperial consulates played in the political life of Outer Mongolia and its disputes with China and also in maintenance of Russia’s good neighborhood with these countries. The author places special emphasis on the consular officials’ diplomatic work in the period of the Mongolian national liberation movement of 1900–1910-s, their mediating role in the China-Mongolia conflict, in establishment of the legal basis for the Mongolian autonomy by participation in the international negotiations in 1912–1915.The diplomats’ efforts to limit the Pan-Mongolian movement which became one of the security concerns in Central and East Asia in the early 20th century are also analyzed in this work. Investigation of the political processes inMongolia through the lens of the Russian consulates’work offers a fresh perspective for analysis of the interaction of the Russian, Chinese and Mongolian governments and civilizations, modes of their coexistence in one of the most turbulent periods of EastAsian history.Additionally, this research reveals the characteristics and challenges of the Russian foreign policy and consular service in China and Mongolia and opens some previously unknown chapters of history of Russian diplomacy inAsia. Starovoitova Elena (Saint Petersburg State University) Visual Images of China in the Late XIXth — Early XXth Century Russia Key words: China, Russia, foreign policy, perception, visual image Sino-Russian relations in the end of the XIX— beginning of the XXth century can be described as very contradictory. On one hand, this was the time of mutually beneficial treaties in the field of delimitation, railway construction, trade, and finance. But it all just led to a military conflict and almost full estrangement between the Russian and the Qing Empires. Still, the end of the XIXth century was the time of very reach development of socio-cultural interaction between the peoples of two neighbor nations. First of all, it was, as Dr. Samoylov claims, the consequence of the appearance of totally new communicative channels such as new frontier area, the Chinese Eastern Railway line with its centre in Harbin, and the ports of Dalian and Port Arthur. It all led to a completely new perception between the two nations both on political and everyday life levels. This was the time when a lot of Russian statesmen, military figures, cultural workers, etc. started to express their opinion on the future of Sino-Russian relations. One could also find more frequent mentions of China in Russian media of all kinds. Some times these opinions and perceptions were caused by certain political, military or cultural reasons. But sometimes they could also influence the course of the Russian policy in the Far East. This is why it is very important for today’s researchers of the history of Sino-Russian relations to pay closer attention to the development of mutual perception between the two states at that time. And this particular report is going to concentrate on the visual images of China in Russia the end of the XIXth — beginning XXth century. Teo Emily (University of Kent/ Freie Universität Berlin) A Comparative History of Writing Travel: Late Ming and Early Modern Travellers in China (1550–1644) Key words: comparative history, travelogues, late Ming, early modern, travel culture In late Ming China, a remarkable phenomenon emerged; travel within China flourished and both Chinese and European travellers were travelling through China and writing travelogues about their experiences. A study of their texts tells the story of different cultures and methodologies of travel. This paper proposes to discuss the underlying philosophies and impetus that guide travel, and ultimately, what travellers see and record. Although both Chinese and European travellers were travelling through the same land in the same period, their records are unique in style and subject. Both cultures were in the midst of a travel boom. Advancements in travel infrastructure made late Ming China a more accessible place than