Images of Europe in Secondary School History Textbooks in the People's Republic of China

Abstract

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, when China's first official textbooks for world history appeared, European history has played a significant role in the teaching of world history in the country. Due to historical influences and the limitations associated with the times, there have been some misconceptions with regard to images of Europe during this period. However, the notion that Europe was a worthy object of study for China was never discarded. The evolution of these images of Europe reflects both changes in the times and in people's ideas of the continent. Understanding this evolution is of substantial significance for gaining a deeper understanding of current China-EU relations.