Contrary to the popular historical narrative that China’s exposure to the West in the 1800shastened a slew of problems for an inward-looking Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), historian Odd Arne Westad argues that the Qing was not only eager to expand outward but benefited immeasurably from Western creativity and knowledge.

In his new book Restless Empire: China and the World Since 1750, which was named winner of the 2013 Asia Society Bernard Schwartz Book Award for its contribution to advancing the understanding of contemporary Asia, Westad traces China’s development through its interactions with the outside world from a Chinese perspective. Despite the country’s growing power, it remains first and foremost a regional power, he says.

The book, which was chosen by the Asia Society from more than 130 nominations, fits into the framework of the organization’s own work to consider the depth of history in understanding the future, says Asia Society president Josette Sheeran.

Too often, nonfiction books are left unread by people outside a field of inquiry, Westad notes. With an approach that “stresses cultural transformations and hybrid identities as much as conflicts and nationalisms”, he presents an alternative historical narrative that might surprise even longtime China watchers.

Source: chinadaily.com.cn