China's Quest for Moral Authority

By Orville Schell

This article appeared in the October 20, 2008 edition of The Nation.

October 1, 2008

onfucius Ceremony in Hong Kong, 2007 CNIMAGING

CNIMAGING
onfucius Ceremony in Hong Kong, 2007

The Beijing Summer Olympic Games are long since over, and the vortex of criticism, demonstrations, ceremonies, pollution concerns, acclaim and gold medals that swirled around China for months has subsided. In the process China's world image was changed. By deftly using the games to draw a symbolic line between its past and what the world must hope will be a brighter future, China managed to project itself globally as a nation reborn from poverty, war, revolution and self-inflicted catastrophe and to rebrand itself as an emerging superpower approaching fuqiang (wealth and power).

If China has finally managed to escape much of its old stereotype, what else remains for it to do during the next stage of its incomplete Long March?

The Historical Dilemma

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About Orville Schell

Orville Schell is Arthur Ross Director of the Asia Society’s Center on US-China Relations. more...
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