Early Relations Between China And The Western Culture (1949-1956)

The cultural relation is an important part of international relations. On one hand, culture is a significant aspect of the comprehensive state power of a country; on the other hand, as a vital form of soft power, culture exerts great effect on international relations. Both in the past and in the present, the international intercourse in the cultural field, especially the conflicts among the countries with different ideologies and social systems focusing on the cultural sovereignty, the cultural security as well as the expansion and anti-expansion and penetration and anti-penetration in the cultural and ideological field constitute a vital part of the international relations and even the international political struggles.During the initial stage (1949—1956) after the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the cultural relations with the West is an organic part of the Sino-Western relations as well as an important aspect for China's diplomacy. While implementing the policies of political isolation, economic blockade and military containment against China, the West adopted the culture strategy in the cultural field with the emphasis on the maintenance of its cultural privileges, expansion of its culture influence internally and bereavement of China's cultural sovereignty, confinement of China's cultural space externally. China carried out cultural struggles focusing on the abolishment of the remaining cultural privileges of the West in China, elimination of the influence of Western culture, maintenance of cultural sovereignty and expansion of the cultural space. This thesis makes systematic induction and elementary study on China's cultural struggles in face of the culture strategy of the West, and tries to objectively expatiate China's cultural cognition towards the West and the reflections on the culture strategy of the West as well as the policymaking, implementation, effect and influence of cultural policies during this period, aiming for an all-round grasp for the Sino-Western cultural relations and even China's foreign relations during this period.The study above helps to further understand the role, effect and influence of cultural relations in the Sino-Western relations during this period in a perspective of"soft power", which has been paid more and more attention to. On the other hand, under the circumstances that the cultural factor plays more and more obvious role in the international relations in the Post-Cold War Era, the study above will also provide reference for the reflections and management of the contemporary Sino-Western cultural relation and even the whole Sino-Western relations.