The Language of Nation-State Building in Late Qing China

This chapter discusses the nature, key issues and significance of the 1905-07 press debate between the constitutional monarchist Xinmin Congbao and revolutionary republican Minbao. Focusing on the way modernity was perceived, it examines conflicting portrayals of the root cause of China’s problems and their solutions. Central to the analysis is the way both sides converged in their newly acquired modern outlooks that confined their differences to the approach to social changes. It argues that unlike the Burke-Paine debate in late nineteenth century between conservatism and progressivism as two ideological paradigms, the late Qing debate contributed to the rise of radicalism and spelt the demise of conservatism as a counterbalancing force for social changes in modern China.