Constructing China’s Modern Image: an Examination on the Roots of Its Modernity

　　Abstract: China’s Rise has become an unstoppable trend. The image that rising China attempts to build, as a power, has since also capture the attention of the world. This image, to a degree, suggests China’s reflection of its historical experience and image of the self. Previous discourses about the “stagnation of China” in the West, the impact of globalization, and the rise of regional identity, have formed the context within which China pursues and constructs its modern image today. These developments provide the important ingredients for our examination of the structure of China’s modern image. For a start, China has to recapture the discourse of its own image; acceptance of a “stereotyped” China can only result in passiveness in actions, appeals for emotional sympathy, and constant pursuit for utilitarian ends. A proactive response has to be underpinned by a strong push to understand oneself, that is, a product of the combination of historical roots and modern reality.