‘Progress’ was the buzzword of the age in late 19th century imperialism, as Britain and America expanded their projects of bringing ‘civilization’ and ‘modernity’ to the diverse peoples and economies of Asia. One prime example of this ‘civilizing mission’ can be found in Britain’s protracted engagement in China, beginning with the Opium Wars of 1839-1842 … Continue reading Project Proposal: Anglo-American Rhetoric on the Chinese “Open Door” of 1899

I propose to analyze Chinese incursion in Hong Kong in 2019, the subsequent crises of protests and violence, and the major fallout of Sino-British relations in the aftermath. I argue that we can only responsibly claim to understand tensions in Hong Kong—which have frequently taken the spotlight on the global stage—by examining the history of … Continue reading Project Proposal – The Hong Kong Crisis of 2019-2020 in the History of Anglo-Chinese Relations Since 1949