World History on a Par with Chinese History? China's Search for World Power in Three Stages

In 2011, the Department of Education in China made a policy change by elevating the study and teaching of world history to a first-class academic field. This article argues that this elevation reflects an unprecedented move by both the Chinese government and historical community to put world history on a par with Chinese history with regard to their importance as subjects of knowledge. It discusses the three periods where world history developed as a field of study in modern China, focusing on the latest one from the turn of the twenty-first century to today. During this period, world historians in China launched their search for a new, Chinese grand narrative for understanding and interpreting worldwide historical development. While inspired by the theory of modernization and advances in global history, the historians have also endeavoured to draw wisdom from China's rich cultural tradition and its recent successful experience in economic expansion. The elevation of world history to a first class field of academic study suggests a landmark development in the direction.