“Bill Hayton tells the story of how ‘China’ came to see itself as China — and what that means for our world today,” reports MiddleAsanNews.
In his work, Hayton demonstrates how the geopolitical issues facing China arose against the backdrop of the struggle to form a national state. He revives discussions that took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when progressive minds sought inspiration beyond China to create a new image of it.
Reflecting various aspects of history, language, territory, and national identity, the author shows how some radical figures, often in exile, adapted European concepts of race and nation to rethink China's past and build its future. Hayton skillfully intertwines personal and political narratives, demonstrating how Chinese nationalism was formed at the intersection of East and West. These ideas continue to influence the country's politics in the 21st century. By asserting a specific vision of history, Chinese authorities have strengthened their claims to vast territories from the Pacific Ocean to Central Asia.
The book thoroughly examines the emergence of the concepts of the "Han race," as well as the issue of national identity, linguistic traditions, and territorial claims. The republic's rethinking of its past not only justified its right to govern a hundred years ago but continues to significantly influence contemporary politics.
“I am very pleased to learn that the Mongolian edition of my book ‘The Invention of China’ has taken 8th place in the non-fiction bestseller list of one of the bookstores in Ulaanbaatar!” — wrote the author on his X page.
Bill Hayton is a specialist in Southeast Asian geopolitics and the author of three books, including “The Invention of China” (Yale, 2020), “The South China Sea: The Struggle for Power in Asia” (Yale, 2014), and “Vietnam: Rising Dragon” (Yale, 2010).
He is also an associate fellow of the Asia-Pacific Program at Chatham House and a member of the Royal Geographical Society. Since 1998, Bill Hayton has held various positions at BBC News, including serving as a correspondent in Vietnam from 2006 to 2007 and at Myanmar's state television MRTV from 2013 to 2014.
Previously, he also worked in European and Middle Eastern politics, including at the Arab channel Al Jazeera. The expert has lectured for government agencies, companies, think tanks, and universities on issues related to conflicts in the South China Sea. In 2019, he defended his doctoral dissertation at Cambridge on the history and development of disputes in the South China Sea. His current research focuses on ASEAN policy and Southeast Asia's interactions with China, the United States, and other world powers.
