Early Sino-American Relations Research (1784-1844)

Author: Qiu Huifei
Publisher:
Publishing Time: Not available
Features: This book can be considered the most comprehensive work by mainland scholars on Sino-US relations during this period. First, the author extensively draws on existing research both within and outside China. The book has a dedicated introductory chapter that introduces and reviews the research on Sino-US relations during this period by scholars both in China and abroad. Important works known to the author, including recent publications in China's academic circles, are included. Academic research follows the general rules of epistemology, progressing from superficial to deeper and from partial to more comprehensive understanding. Research also keeps pace with the times. All subsequent research builds on the foundation of previous studies. Second, the author has put significant effort and depth into uncovering historical materials. Historians always emphasize the importance of historical sources. Historical writing is not something one can write at will. Many historians have this experience: when writing, they are cautious, fearing that the sources may be flawed. Even with great attention to this issue, problems may still arise in the sources, and even some great historians cannot escape such pitfalls. Even accomplished historians, to achieve new results, must still uncover new materials, showing that the effort to gather sources is indeed a major task—one that requires historians to keep learning throughout their lives. Third, as the author states, this book is a specialized research work, which is one of its distinctive features. During my time working at the Institute of Modern History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, I often heard Professor Li She, then the deputy director, emphasize the importance of specialized research. He opposed the tendency to write about history at every turn, believing that only specialized research can push historical studies deeper. This book conducts separate studies on important aspects of early Sino-US relations, such as trade, missionaries, and the issue of extraterritoriality.