79-219 Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Idea of "China"
6 units, Carnegie Mellon University
Starting with the core question, What is China, this minicourse explores the recent histories of Hong Kong and Taiwan to investigate questions of identity, nationalism, ethnicity, exceptionalism, colonialism, and historical memory in Greater China. While both Hong Kong and Taiwan are generally considered to be Chinese, neither ever has been fully included in the modern Chinese nationstate. The agreement that transferred Hong Kong from British rule to PRC control in 1997 enshrined the idea of One Country, Two Systems, a guarantee that Hong Kongs political, legal, and economic systems would not be altered for fifty years. One Country, Two Systems has also been offered as a blueprint for reunifying Taiwan with Mainland China. However, in recent years publics in both Hong Kong and Taiwan not only increasingly resist political reunification with the PRC, but more and more identify themselves as citizens of either Hong Kong or Taiwan rather than members of a singular Chinese nation. This has led to mass protests in Hong Kong and calls for true independence in Taiwan. Other topics that may be discussed include subethnic identity and ethnic minorities in modern China and the Chinese diaspora.
Prerequisites: none listed
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