China’s Century of Humiliation

Shared historical and cultural narratives have always played a role in foreign policy. Symbols, myths, songs, and epics all define  the cultural roots of individuals and societies. Within that realm of memory, episodes of mass trauma play a key role in shaping a nation’s future. For China, the last several hundred years, particularly the Century of Humiliation (1839-1949) have been marked by the large-scale intrusion of Europe and Japan into Chinese affairs.