Conflict And Coordination Between American Idealism And Chinese Nationalism (1931-1945)

This thesis,taking Sino-US relations during Anti-Japanese War from the year of1931to1945as its research subject, centering on the history of Sino-US relations under the interaction of American idealism with Chinese nationalism, as well as the history of interactive development of American idealism and Chinese nationalism after open-door policy was put forward, from the perspectives of intellectual and cultural history, not just the perspective of policy history instead,tries to explore the origin, framework, contents,substance and influence of Sino-US relations during this historical period from the two aspects of theory and history, under the international conditions, especially the evolution of international political structure in East Asia, which was controlled and instructed by western imperialist powers. It is emphasized in this thesis that China’s Anti-Japanese war and national reconstruction provided American idealism with a large-scale test site, endowed American idealism with brand-new contents in connotation and pattern. Meanwhile, Chinese nationalism got comprehensive development in aims, principles and means, during the process of respondence and resistance between American idealism and Chinese nationalism. It can also be concluded that the development of China’s modern nationalism became a major factor to lead America out of isolationism, and one of the dynamic factors to lead America to globalism and internationalism.The US. started to show some idealism tendency in its foreign policy towards China from the beginning of US.coming to china as one part of western expansionism. This tendency was identified as the origin of Sino-US. Special relationship. After china’s traditional nationalism---the Boxer Rebellion, America idealism adopted the approach of internationalism to get involved in politics in Far East by open-door policy. The US. Advocated economic freedom and "preserving"china and claimed to welcome a powerful, united and liberal modern china, which fully displayed pseudo-ethics of American idealism instructed by the mission concept of Christianity,and developed an image of "beautiful imperialism"in the eyes of Chinese nationalism. At the same time, US. also designed Washington System featured by liberalism and attempted to direct the development of china’s modern nationalism and rebuild a world structure in East Asia, which did not focus on sphere of influence but collective security.In this way, US basically established diplomatic policy of idealism towards china and common principles of liberalism on international relations before the Mukden Incident initiated by Japan.The years from1931to1945during China’s Anti-Japanese War was a period of all-round development for china’s modern nationalism. During this period, explored in this thesis, American policy in china of its idealism arose disputes between the two paradigms: one was called the paradigm of "example"or "monastic" in isolationism, which fulfilled the example function of American idealism. The other was called the paradigm of "involvement" or "missionary"in liberal globalism, which put emphasis on the output of American idealism. As for the paradigm of "involvement", there existed two different approaches:the approach of "alliance", which did not get involved in the internal affairs of other nations, and the approach of "intervention", which involved or attempted to get involved in the internal affairs of other nations.The years from1931to1940was the ideal times for American isolationism. With the upsurge of Chinese nationalism and high expectation of America, the US,on one hand, proclaimed only to attach importance to its own development of the cause of Liberty under the "mask"of pacifism;on the other hand, the US just dictated its advocacy over and over again without applying into practice. For American external relations, China was not a concrete nation but a substitute for the abstract principles of American idealism.However,from the year of1940, especially after the outbreak of the Pacific War, with the struggle of Chinese nationalism and the changes in international Anti-Fascist War, driven by the strength of liberal internationalism with China and support china’s great struggles for nationalism, the US. finally turned abstract principles into practical actions:to ally liberty and independence and also try hard to help project a powerful image on the world arena of politics, so that Sino-US relations came into an ideal period of "alliance". During that period, the US targeted the overall victory of Anti-Fascist War and adopted the principles of non-interference in internal affairs, which is recognized by Chinese nationalists on the whole, as the conflicts between the demands of Chinese nationalism and the goals of American idealism were rather properly resolved.From the beginning of the period of "alliance", especially after the year of1943, American idealism about altering irrational international order and rebuilding China’s liberal-developmentalism started to prevail, and the US. got more and more deeply involved in China’s internal affairs. The first contradiction that the US. must be confronted with in its policy towards China was the conflict of the internal aims of idealism:to improve national self-determination or to promote American-style freedom. The US. abandoned national self-determination but chose promoting American-style freedom instead. China’s Communists adopted it to reconstruct a modern nation, but Chiang kai-shek National Government refused it firmly for its now interests. The second was the contradictions between idealism and realism. Just before Anti-Fascist War was settled and in facing of the rise of Soviet Union, Should the US. continue with china’s rebuilding democracy or regard China as a reliable ally? The US. chose the latter. China’s nationalists represented by Chinese communists started to re-examine American policy of idealism to rebuild china’s democracy. As far as history and experiences were concerned, even if the US. had chosen to promote china’s democracy, china’s nationalists including Chinese-communists would not have adopted it, owing to the fundamental contradiction between Chinese national-determination and American power-expansion. So the US. policy in china was destined to fail. In a word, from the perspective of realism, any nation should not impose its own will on another one, and the principles of non-interference in internal affairs are one of the best policies of dealing with the relations among nations.