China

This chapter analyses what sort of education about and for the nation takes place in China and its SARs of Hong Kong and Macao, and what connections there are between national and internationalization initiatives and globalization. The situation in China is complex. For example, protests and conflicts in Tibet and Xinjiang Uyghur seem to arise out of ethnic tensions and inequities in terms of social mobility and the use of regional resources, in addition to attempts to align education across the whole of China. Given the available space in this chapter, the situations of Tibetans and the Uighurs in China and their meanings of ‘education for the nation’ are not covered in great detail. Hong Kong and Macao have experienced different development pathways from that of China since 1841 and 1557, respectively, and in this chapter, their versions of education for the nation will be discussed within their own specific contexts. Chinese nationalist theorists have sought to defend Chinese sovereignty against external threats in the early 20th century. Disputes over status and equality led to a national revolution against foreign imperialism, and these issues created implications for education about and for the nation. World War II (WWII) further drew China into a devastating nationalistic war against the invasion of Japan. Copyright © 2016 King Man Chong, Ian Davies, Terrie Epstein, Carla L. Peck, Andrew Peterson, Alistair Ross, Maria Auxiliadora Schmidt, Alan Sears and Debbie Sonu.