Qian Chengdan on Area Studies in China
In Qiushi/Seek Truth, well-known PKU historian emphasizes the growing importance and complexity of area studies in China’s academic and policy landscapes.
For many foreign observers of China’s public policy education and research field, the domestic, sometimes heated, Chinese discussions about specific academic disciplines can be easily confusing - why do they even matter?
China maintains a rigid, standardized system for classifying academic disciplines that all universities must adhere to. The Ministry of Education maintains an official catalog of disciplines that outlines the nationwide organization of knowledge areas. This catalog now comprises 14 broad discipline categories (门类) and over 100 first-level disciplines. For example, law, Marxism, international affairs, and the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC) are all “first-level disciplines” within the “category” of law.
In addition to the traditional categories and first-level disciplines, a new 14th discipline category was created by the education ministry at the end of 2020. Its name is, well, 交叉学科 interdisciplinary studies. Initially, this category comprises only two first-level disciplines: “Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering”, and “National Security.” In 2022, “area studies” was added as another first-level discipline within the interdisciplinary studies category.
Every department, college, and degree program at Chinese universities is labeled according to these government-approved categories – whether it falls under, say, philosophy, economics, engineering, medicine, etc. This means a university cannot simply invent new fields of study or reconfigure disciplines without ministry approval; it must fit programs into the existing framework. The classification system also determines the “affiliation range” of teaching and research activities and standardizes what constitutes a subject area across all institutions. Such uniform discipline codes are used in the granting of degrees, hiring of faculty, and allocation of funds. In effect, the discipline catalog serves as the backbone of academic organization, ensuring that higher education throughout China speaks the same language regarding fields of study. This rigidity underlines why government-mandated disciplines are so consequential – they formally structure the entire academic enterprise.
I think these are helpful background in any case and also useful for understanding the following article, published in the 8th/April 16 issue of Qiushi/Seek Truth this year, the flagship biweekly journal of the CPC Central Committee.
Very few people get to write on Qiushi, where the byline is dominated by China’s top leader, other senior leaders, and ministers. This piece’s author is Qian Chengdan, a history professor and Founding Director of the Institute of Area Studies at Peking University.
Qian observes that area studies—defined as the interdisciplinary, localized, and empirical research of specific countries or regions—have evolved globally since the 18th century and were institutionalized in the West after World War II to serve geopolitical needs. In China, the field gained momentum in the 1960s due to diplomatic imperatives and continued to expand in the 21st century as China’s global interactions intensified. Qian believes that, unlike narrowly defined disciplines, area studies is inherently multidisciplinary, combining insights from politics, economics, history, culture, and more, and requires in-depth regional knowledge and language proficiency. It plays a critical role in informing government strategy, supporting overseas businesses, and enhancing people-to-people exchanges.
Qian also highlights the institutional challenges that area studies faces in China, especially within a rigid academic system shaped by traditional disciplinary boundaries. While interdisciplinary research has flourished in STEM fields, the humanities—where area studies primarily resides—remain constrained by disciplinary siloing. To address this, China officially recognized “interdisciplinary studies” as a new academic category in 2020, providing structural support for area studies to grow as a national priority, perhaps to Qian’s delight. He concludes that area studies must be understood not as a fragmented academic interest but as a strategic, talent-driven, and institutionally supported endeavor essential to China’s modernization and international engagement.
深入推进我国区域国别研究
Further deepen our country’s area studies
In recent years, area studies has rapidly developed as an emerging academic field domestically. So, what exactly is area studies? What are its defining characteristics? How should area studies be conducted, and what challenges does it face? Only by carefully researching and answering these questions can we promote the further deepening and advancement of area studies.
Accurately Understanding and Grasping the Nature of Area and Country Studies
Area studies in the West can be traced back to the 18th and 19th centuries. At that time, driven by the needs of colonial rule and curiosity about exotic cultures, Western scholars began to explore and study the culture, society, and other aspects of their colonies, giving rise to new academic fields such as oriental studies and egyptology. These were the earliest forms of area studies. However, the research back then primarily focused on culture, language, and classical texts, differing somewhat from the later concept of area studies. After the end of World War II, the global political landscape changed rapidly, and a large number of newly independent countries emerged. To better understand these countries and safeguard Western interests and influence, Western nations led by the United States began comprehensive studies of non-Western countries, which gave birth to area studies in the contemporary sense. Following the United States, some European countries also embarked on systematic area studies. Subsequently, countries such as Japan and South Korea entered this field, and area studies gradually developed into an international research discipline.
The tasks and objectives of area studies are to conduct comprehensive research and understanding of various regions and countries around the world, providing academic support for government policy-making and non-governmental exchanges. Its first characteristic is regionality, meaning it has a clearly defined geographical scope, focusing on specific regions and countries, and accumulating knowledge about these areas and nations. The second characteristic is comprehensiveness; area studies aim to conduct all-round research on specific regions and countries, organizing and synthesizing knowledge to construct a complete cognitive framework. This gives rise to the third characteristic, namely the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary nature of area studies. The scope of research covers various aspects of a country or region, including society, economy, politics, history, culture, natural environment, resources, customs, military, diplomacy, language, and religion. Only through the joint efforts and collaboration of multiple disciplines can such research be effectively carried out. The fourth characteristic is its locality and empirical nature; researchers must live and work for a certain period in the country or region of study to obtain first-hand knowledge. This requires proficiency in the language of the target country or region, as relying solely on widely used international languages, such as English, is insufficient for conducting first-hand research on non-English-speaking countries.
Some people misunderstand area studies as merely international relations or international politics research, which reflects a lack of proper understanding. The scope of area studies is much broader; international relations and international politics constitute only a part of it. Any country or region is multifaceted and highly complex, so no single discipline can fully encompass area studies on its own. Only through interdisciplinary cooperation, interaction, and joint efforts can we thoroughly understand the conditions of a country or region. Therefore, the most essential characteristic of area studies is its interdisciplinarity; it is an interdisciplinary field. For example, American studies are a core part of area studies. In addition to topics such as American political parties, Congress, and elections, issues like economic inequality, right-wing conservatism, demographic changes, and the technology industry in the United States also deserve attention. Scholars need to go beyond the study room and engage broadly with American political activists, industry organizations, media, think tanks, and so forth, to gain an authentic understanding of the country. Related research must organically integrate both the history and current realities of the United States, continuously expanding in depth and breadth, producing more high-quality and original outcomes to provide strong intellectual support for the strategic decision-making of the CPC and the state.
Recognizing the Urgency of Strengthening Area Studies
Area studies in China began in the 1960s. At that time, driven by the need to carry out diplomatic work, Premier Zhou Enlai presided over a meeting on strengthening research on foreign affairs. Following the meeting, the Central Foreign Affairs Group and others drafted the 《关于加强研究外国工作的报告》“Report on Strengthening Research on Foreign Affairs.” Subsequently, a number of area studies institutions were established in universities, including the 北京大学亚非研究所 Institute of Asian and African Studies at Peking University and the 南京大学近现代英美对外关系研究室 Modern and Contemporary Anglo-American Foreign Relations Research Office at Nanjing University. However, the primary task at that time was the translation of materials. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences established several area studies institutes, such as the 西欧所 Institute of Western European Studies, 美国所 the Institute of American Studies, and the 亚太所 Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, and launched a number of specialized academic journals. Many universities also set up relevant research institutions, leading to a rapid proliferation of area studies in China during this period.
Entering the 21st century, with the continuous increase of China's international exchanges, the demand for area studies has become increasingly prominent. The Chinese government's national approach to area studies has become clearer, and its importance has steadily risen. In 2011, the Ministry of Education launched a special initiative on area studies, establishing area studies institutions at Chinese universities nationwide. After years of development, the university institutions registered with the Ministry of Education have essentially achieved comprehensive coverage of research on countries and regions around the world. Other government ministries and universities have also established relevant research institutions. Area studies have thus moved beyond being merely a personal interest of scholars and is developing toward institutionalization and specialization.
Why has this situation arisen? It is closely linked to strong practical demands. For example, after the reform and opening-up, many enterprises expanded overseas and developed extensive international business. The difficulties they encountered were mainly not technical but stemmed from a lack of understanding of the social, political, and cultural conditions of the host countries. A common scenario was facing problems without knowing their root causes. Applying Chinese domestic solutions abroad often met with resistance, while seeking foreign solutions required a deep understanding of the respective country. Therefore, the business community strongly hopes that academia can provide support, and area studies are precisely what can fulfill this task. The strong demand is not limited to businesses; cultural exchanges, diplomacy, non-governmental interactions, and scientific research all require profound knowledge of foreign contexts. Since the New Era, China's comprehensive national strength and international standing have been continuously enhanced, and its global influence has steadily expanded. The country has proposed three major global initiatives and the Belt and Road Initiative, promoted Sino-foreign exchanges, strengthened international communication, participated in global governance, and advanced the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. These efforts have created a favorable external environment for further deepening reform and advancing Chinese-style modernization. At the same time, the international landscape is changing rapidly, and the external environment for China's development is evolving quickly. Under these new circumstances, it is essential to accurately grasp the international situation, correctly understand the external world, precisely formulate international strategies, and effectively advance foreign affairs work.
Some may ask: since multiple disciplines in China currently study foreign affairs, why is there still a need for area studies? What makes it distinctive? Indeed, many disciplines involve research on foreign issues, but each approaches these issues from its own disciplinary perspective, focusing on problems relevant to that discipline rather than on a specific country or region. These studies are scattered across various fields, making it difficult to connect them or integrate them into a complete knowledge system. As a result, it is challenging to develop a holistic understanding of a particular country or region. The greatest characteristic of area studies is that it relies on the participation of multiple disciplines, all concentrating jointly on a single country or region, cooperating and integrating with each other to form a knowledge system that no single discipline alone can produce—this is the value of interdisciplinarity. Therefore, we need an academic platform capable of integrating multidisciplinary research, and that platform is area studies.
Enhancing the Quality of Area Studies through Disciplinary Development
China’s modern education system was established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, coinciding with the peak of disciplinary differentiation in the West. Under this influence, the concept of “disciplines” became deeply rooted in China’s education system. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the education sector further strengthened its disciplinary awareness, influenced by the Soviet Union's education system. In the 1970s, to standardize admissions and facilitate academic and student record management, China formulated a nationally unified disciplinary catalog, incorporating all talent cultivation within a single framework for disciplines.
However, with the development of education and the rapid advancement of science and technology, it has become increasingly difficult to remain confined within a single discipline in fields such as natural sciences, engineering, medicine, and agriculture. As a result, interdisciplinary integration in these areas has become inevitable and has developed rapidly. To resolve the tension between rigid disciplinary boundaries and the strong demand for cross-disciplinary collaboration, some universities have begun to establish “interdisciplinary disciplines,” enabling the cultivation of cross-disciplinary talent and scientific research. However, the awareness of interdisciplinarity in the humanities remains relatively weak to this day, and the issue of disciplines guarding their boundaries still requires further exploration and resolution.
Area studies have become a national necessity and a demand of the times, yet the greatest shortage lies in talent—without people, nothing can be accomplished. Therefore, the development of area studies must begin with talent cultivation as its foundation. In China, talent training is conducted within the framework of disciplines; without disciplinary support, it is impossible to nurture qualified personnel. The talents needed for area studies are quite special: they must possess broad regional knowledge as well as deep professional expertise, and must simultaneously have three capabilities—professional competence, regional understanding, and proficiency in the local language. Such talent can only be cultivated through specialized training. No existing discipline in the national disciplinary catalog can independently produce such talent. Hence, the solution is to establish area studies as an interdisciplinary discipline.
At the end of 2020, the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and the Ministry of Education issued a notice establishing a new disciplinary category of “interdisciplinary studies,” making it the 14th disciplinary category in China. This was intended to address the strict boundaries and lack of communication among existing disciplines in China’s academic system. On one hand, this approach preserves the continuity of the existing system without causing disruption or confusion; on the other hand, it substantially remedies its shortcomings by providing a formal recognition and pathway for interdisciplinary work. For area studies, this represents a significant opportunity: area studies are inherently interdisciplinary, involving not only intersections among humanities disciplines but also between the humanities and sciences. Including area studies within the “interdisciplinary studies” category offers institutional support for its practical development and enhancement of research quality.
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Interesting article, thank you. A few years ago on YouTube I saw some talks on YouTube by Professor Shen Zhihua of East China Normal University on the importance of area studies. He and his colleagues have been doing considerable work in both Chinese and foreign archives to better understand the history of PRC relations with its neighboring countries.
I put a summary and links of Professor Shen's talk on my translation blog
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( https://gaodawei.wordpress.com/2021/03/26/shen-zhihua-on-state-of-chinese-research-on-relations-with-neighboring-asian-countries/ )
2020: Shen Zhihua on State of Chinese Research on Relations with Neighboring Asian Countries
Posted on 03/26/2021 by 高大伟 David Cowhig
PRC diplomatic history scholar Shen Zhihua’s talk at a 2020 Tsinghua University “Workshop on China’s Border Regions and Asia” 中国边疆与亚洲研究”学术工作坊 is on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sXE-S_pWUQ&ab_channel=ShisuiKyu
In 2009，China’s Central Military Commission wondered why are relations with the DPRK so very difficult? Shen said those top leaders of the PRC military had very little idea of the true history of PRC – DPRK relations. Shen said he originally wasn’t interested in this topic, but he was asked to work on it so he did. After he assembled archival materials, he found that China’s relations with the DPRK were completely different from what one could read in Chinese textbooks and in the PRC press. Very basic facts and ideas were completely wrong. In contrast with the propaganda about glorious brotherhood between the PRC and the DPRK, PRC – DPRK relations were actually very tense during the 1950s. Shen observed that PRC – DPRK relations didn’t get better because China sent in troops; they got better only when China withdrew its troops at the end of 1958.
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Another YouTube talk on Chinese area studies I saw was by Professor Zhang Baijia
https://gaodawei.wordpress.com/2021/04/01/zhang-baijia-reflections-on-chinas-research-on-frontiers-and-relations-with-neighboring-states/
2020: Zhang Baijia: Reflections on China’s Research on Frontiers and Relations with Neighboring States
Posted on 04/01/2021 by 高大伟 David Cowhig
Professor Zhang Baijia 章百家 spoke at the first session and gave opening remarks of the academic workshop on “China’s Frontier and Asian Studies” hosted by the Department of History of Tsinghua University on October 11, 2020. Zhang Baijia is the former Deputy Director of the Party History Research Office of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, Professor of the Department of History of Peking University, Professor of the Department of Party History of Renmin University, and member of the Academic Committee of the Institute of Modern History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Professor Zhang in his lecture stressed the importance of building area studies for China.
I thought his comments were wise. We are all to some extent prisoners of our own perspectives. Often we make excuses for the mistakes of people in our own group, while outsiders who make similar mistakes we condemn quickly without considering the possibility of misunderstanding or difficult circumstances.
Here are some of the points Professor Zhang Baijia made in his lecture that I watched on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv0JT9FuEQI&t=21s&ab_channel=ShisuiKyu
China as a newly rising power is poorly prepared for this task both because of shortcomings in its institutions and in a shortage of human talent. Chinese research on foreign relations has focused on big countries while neglecting for the most part its neighbors. While research on big countries is important, it now occupies too large a part in China’s research effort.
For example, research on India, a big country on China’s border has been seriously neglected. Very few Chinese scholars have done work on India and even those that have are people with many years of personal experience with India and not people who started out as scholars and have done archival research.
Why is China’s research about its neighbors so weak?
First of all, deep in our bones we are very sinocentric. We think of our neighbors as belonging to the Chinese cultural sphere. Such a simple view is wrong. The history of China’s neighbors is very different from China’s. This is especially true for those of our neighbors which have been colonies of European powers.
If we compare Asian and European culture, Asian culture is much more complex that European culture.
Chinese studies on foreign relations suffer from
– Overemphasis on big countries.
– The USA is not China’s neighbor yet the USA is highly involved in China’s relations with its neighboring states.
— Much of China’s relations with the USA have to do with a shared international agenda. China’s concerns about the USA are related to US involvement in China’s periphery.
– PRC research on neighboring countries is weak. During the 19th century, many of the countries on China’s periphery did not have institutions of their own. In many cases these countries still have strong ties to the former colonial power and limited ties with China.
– An example of China misunderstanding its neighbors: when the Chinese delegation went to the Geneva Talks of 1954, they learned that Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia had become independent countries. China had to immediately make adjustments to its foreign policy.
– Difference in language and culture as a barrier to understanding. China has invested little in people and research to overcome its ignorance of its neighbors, except in some limited areas where it has been able to learn from research done by western scholars. Solving this problem will take time.
– Chinese scholars have done little research on how multilateral relations and bilateral relations affect each other. How are China’s relations with its neighbors affected by their relations with one another? Examples:
China – India and China – Pakistan relations are strongly affected by the current state of relations between India and Pakistan.
China – Cambodia and China – Laos relations are also affected by the relations of those two countries with Vietnam.
Another interesting talk by Professor Zhang Baijia from Youtube I summarized at 2021: “History and Experience of the Chinese Communist Party’s Engagement with the United States”: A Lecture by Professor Zhang Baijia https://gaodawei.wordpress.com/2021/04/24/history-and-experience-of-the-chinese-communist-partys-engagement-with-the-united-states-a-lecture-by-professor-zhang-baijia/ I won't say anything more about since this comment is already too long!!