How China Becomes A Modern State：A Macro-historical Interpretation

[Abstract] The rise of China as a modern state is a process of state transformation that has lasted for three centuries.There are three critical phases in this process. The first phase starts from the second half of the 17th century well into the first half of the 18th century in which China as a territorial state with a multiplicity of ethnic groups was formed. The second phase， spanning the second half of the 19th century， marks the transition from the premodern territorial state to the modern sovereign state. The third phase covers the first half of the 20th century in which the united and authoritarian modern state was founded. The most fundamental feature of China as a modern state is its size in conjunction with its power， i.e.， it has a broad territory and vast population together with a highly centralized state power， making it outstanding among other nation-states in the modern world. From a macroscopic perspective of comparative history， this paper examines the historical reality of China’s state transformation calls into question the paradigmatic perception of“empire to nation-state”so prevalent in the classic literature on the formation of modern states， and proposes a new way of delineating and periodizing China’s modern history.