China: The Pessoptimist Nation

by William A. Callahan

The rise of China presents a long-term challenge to the world not only economically, but politically and culturally. Callahan meets this challenge in The Pessoptimist Nation by using new Chinese sources and innovative analysis to see how Chinese people understand their new place in the
world. The heart of Chinese foreign policy is not a security dilemma, but an identity dilemma. Chinese identity emerges through the interplay of positive and negative China thus is the pessoptimist nation. This positive/negative dynamic intertwines China's domestic and international
politics because national security is closely linked to nationalist insecurities.

To chart the trajectory of its rise, the book shifts from examining China's national interests to exploring its national aesthetic. Rather than answering the standard social science question "what is China?" with statistics of economic and military power, this book asks "when, where, and who is
China?" to explore the soft power dynamics of China's identity politics.

The Pessoptimist Nation examines Beijing's propaganda system and its patriotic education policy to see how Chinese identity is formed through a celebration of ancient civilization and a commemoration of humiliation suffered in modern history. It shows how China's relationship with itself and
the world takes shape in the pessoptimist dynamics of patriotic education policy and the national humiliation curriculum, national days and national humiliation days, national maps and national humiliation maps, foreign brothers and domestic strangers, and Chinese patriots and foreign devils.
Together the chapters demonstrate how the identity politics of Chinese nationalism produce the security politics of Chinese foreign policy. They show how the pessoptimist link between China's dream of civilization and its nightmare of humiliation is not fading away. It provides the template of
China's foreign relations that inflames popular feelings for future demonstrations, and primes the indignant youth for explosive protests.

Callahan concludes that Chinese identity grows out of a dynamic of reciprocal influence that integrates official policy and popular culture. This interactive view of China's pessoptimist identity means that we need to rethink the role of the state and public opinion in Beijing's foreign
policy-making.

Genres: China

288 pages, Hardcover

First published November 19, 2009

Reviews

[Naomi Shi · Rating 5 out of 5]

… lowkey the best book I’ve read on 21st century China?! William Callahan has his fingers on the pulse of the national structure of feeling in China. Such a useful analysis and understanding of the Chinese government, people, and their interactive pessoptimism.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was basically the articulation of a bunch of things I've been thinking as well with regards to China. There is an odd blend of both confidence and deep-set insecurities in the way China interacts with the rest of the world, and this book backs up its "Pessoptimist" (the mashup of Pessimism and Optimism which Callahan argues is descriptive of China's approach to the world) premise through analysis of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the fascinating obsession with "national humiliation", relations with Japan, discussions of Chinese identity (what *does* it mean "be Chinese"?) and analysis of Chinese national sentiment as mirrored in art and popular culture.

Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in China and/or international relations. It's well cited, well written, and accessible.