Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.7, 2020

Perspectives on Interpreting Chinese Borderlands: From Dynastic State to Sovereign State

(Abstract)

Li Dalong

Theoretical discussion of Chinese borderlands constitutes the main part of the disciplinary, academic and discourse system of frontier studies with Chinese characteristics, and has received growing attention in academic circles. However, since the traditional view of dynastic history is increasingly being questioned, while theoretical exploration has been constrained by nation-state theory, a mature theory and method of frontier studies in China have yet to take shape. The historical observation of the formation and development of the sovereign state and China’s borderlands show that the theory of the sovereign state arising from the Peace Treaty of Westphalia and the signing of the Treaty of Nerchinsk occurred at roughly the same time. The sovereign state theory and the traditional Chinese Tianxia idea achieved the same effect by different means. The shaping and development of China’s borderlands and the emergence of European sovereign states both show a development from the traditional state to the sovereign state. Therefore, it would be more appropriate and rational to construct a discourse system dealing with the formation and development of China’s borderlands from the perspective of the development from a traditional dynastic state to a sovereign state.