Toward the Masses: The Dissemination and Reconstruction of Modern Chinese Diplomatic Knowledge

Author: He Jiani
Publisher: Shanghai People’s Publishing House, August 2025

Abstract
How did modern diplomatic concepts, originating in Europe, move from an elite circle to the general public in early 20th-century China? How did this process shape and reconstruct diplomacy? Various discourses on “diplomacy” are not only part of China’s modern diplomatic practice but also carry the knowledge, emotions, and language of times marked by war and revolution. These discourses reflect both the initial translations of Western classical diplomatic studies and the influence of Chinese realities; they are at once elitist and have reached the broader public, entangled with popular movements and the spread of knowledge. The popularization and localization of diplomacy in China also reveal the flaws of Western-centered perspectives and form an important part of the global origins and development of diplomatic studies.

Author Biography
He Jiani is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Diplomacy, School of International Studies, Peking University. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and primarily focuses on the history of China’s foreign relations, the history of diplomatic studies, and border issues. Her book Ruling the Mongols of Manchuria: Language, Literacy, and Power in Late Qing Borderlands (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2025) is one of her key works. Her articles have published in journals such as Foreign Affairs Review and Journal of International Studies. She is also the principal investigator of a National Social Science Fund youth project titled Research on the New Policies of Late Qing Borderlands’ Language and Script and the Construction of the Chinese National Community.