Radically rewriting world and Chinese history without solid proof could threaten China’s international image and national identity, a leading Communist Party journal has warned.
There has been a growing trend to promote a less Western-centric view of history in recent years, while Beijing has also been keen to promote the idea that Chinese civilisation has a long and continuous history.
But at the same time, the so-called pseudo-historical school – which has cast doubt on the origins of Western culture or claimed key scientific advances originated in China – has become increasingly popular in some circles.
On Monday, the party’s theoretical journal Qiushi published an article criticising the trend. It warned that this could pose a threat to China’s own “cultural security and ideological security”.
“The extreme pseudo-historical claims proliferating online continue to spread overseas and have already damaged our country’s ‘academic discourse power’ and cultural image abroad,” the article said.
Some of the most eye-catching theories have cast doubt on key aspects of ancient Greek history, which risk damaging Beijing’s relationship with Athens and other governments.