Emma J. Teng is Professor of Chinese Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Refreshingly, Teng divorces the relationship of the island and the
mainland from the now stale arguments over reunification, or
whether or not Taiwan is part of China, and grounds it in the
tantalizing history of Chinese imperialism. She draws on Qing
dynasty (1644–1911) travel writing and paintings to argue that
China effectively colonized the island… Teng makes adroit use of a
growing body of literature stigmatizing China as a colonial
conqueror—rather than a victim of European colonialism—and
incorporates the importance of Taiwan into the debate on Chinese
expansionism.
*Far Eastern Economic Review*
Teng paints an intriguing picture of the debates that emerged
concerning the colonization of Taiwan and official Qing policy
towards the island’s indigenous peoples… Teng is making a
significant contribution to the study of imperialism overall, and
is suggesting that it is time to move beyond the confines by which
colonialism is seen as the exclusive practice of Western men.
*Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History*
Thoroughly examining Qing dynastic travel accounts and maps of
Taiwan, Teng has written a splendid analysis of changing Chinese
perceptions of Taiwan and its indigenous peoples from the late 17th
century on, culminating in Taiwan’s becoming a province of China in
1887… This book should be read by anyone interested in early
Taiwanese history or in better understanding the current views
about Taiwan held by Chinese in both the Republic of China and the
People’s Republic of China. Those interested in discourses about
the nature of imperialism or in how depictions of indigenous native
peoples are manipulated to suit colonizers’ needs will also find
this book worthwhile.
*Choice*
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