One and All: The Logic of Chinese Sovereignty

The concept of sovereignty is a crucial foundation of the current world order, and the People's Republic of China (PRC) has been using it to respond to external and internal challenges. Pang Laikwan's book analyzes the historical roots of Chinese sovereignty, arguing that the ruling regime's sovereign anxiety cuts across the long twentieth century, providing a strong throughline for state-society relations during moments of intense political instability. The book demonstrates how concepts such as popular sovereignty, territorial sovereignty, and economic sovereignty were constructed and how sovereign power in China was both legitimized and subverted by intellectuals and the ordinary people through a variety of media. With the possibility of a new Cold War looming large, globalization disintegrating, and populism on the rise, Pang provides a timely reevaluation of the logic of sovereignty in China as power, discourse, and a basis for governance.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 276 pages
Publication date: 05 March 2024
Publisher: Stanford University Press

The concept of sovereignty holds immense significance in the current global order, serving as a fundamental foundation upon which states operate. Regardless of their diverse political ideologies, all states must assert and justify their sovereign power. Among the most powerful nations in contemporary global politics, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has increasingly relied on the logic of sovereignty to address a wide range of external and internal challenges. In this insightful book, Pang Laikwan delves into the historical roots of Chinese sovereignty, examining the four distinct political structures of modern China: imperial, republican, socialist, and post-socialist. Through a comprehensive analysis of these structures and the significant ruptures between them, Pang argues that the ruling regime's sovereign anxiety has permeated China's long twentieth century, serving as a powerful thread connecting state-society relations during periods of intense political instability.

Focusing on political theory and cultural history, the book showcases how concepts such as popular sovereignty, territorial sovereignty, and economic sovereignty were constructed and how sovereign power in China has been both legitimized and subverted by intellectuals and ordinary citizens through various media, including painting, literature, internet-based memes, and more. In the context of a potential new Cold War, the disintegration of globalization, and the rise of populism, Pang's book offers a timely reevaluation of the logic of sovereignty in China as a power source, a discourse, and a basis for governance. By exploring the historical roots and evolving dynamics of Chinese sovereignty, this book provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between state power, society, and cultural expressions in the modern world.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781503638815