Historical nihilism (Chinese: 历史虚无主义; pinyin: Lìshǐ xūwú zhǔyì) is a term used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and some scholars in China to describe research, discussions, or viewpoints deemed to contradict an official state version of history in a manner perceived to question or challenge the legitimacy of the CCP. The CCP opposes historical interpretations that are critical of it, the People's Liberation Army, socialism, and related topics.[1][2] Viewpoints that the state judges to be historical nihilism are subject to censorship and legal prosecution.[1]
In a January 2013 speech, CCP general secretary Xi Jinping described "hostile forces" as using historical nihilism to weaken the party's rule by smearing its history.[3][4][5]: 89 In early 2021, Xi increased efforts to promote a "correct outlook on history" ahead of the 100th Anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, including opening a telephone hotline and website for citizens to report people who engage in acts of historical nihilism.[6][7][8]
- ^ a b Mai, Jun (2021-05-11). "2 million posts deleted for 'historical nihilism' as party centenary nears". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
- ^ Brown, Kerry (2016). China and the new Maoists. Simone van Nieuwenhuizen. London. p. 114. ISBN 978-1-78360-761-7. OCLC 958084156.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Zhai, Keith; Wong, Chun Han (2021-06-15). "China Repackages Its History in Support of Xi's National Vision". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
- ^ Scott, Liam (2022-08-08). "China wages war on 'historical nihilism'". Coda Story. Archived from the original on 2022-08-13. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
- ^ Hou, Xiaojia (2024). "China's Shift to Personalistic Rule: Xi Jinping's Centralization of Political Power". In Fang, Qiang; Li, Xiaobing (eds.). China under Xi Jinping: A New Assessment. Leiden University Press. ISBN 9789087284411. JSTOR jj.15136086.
- ^ Cadell, Cate (2021-04-11). "China launches hotline for netizens to report 'illegal' history comments". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
- ^ Denyer, Simon (April 27, 2018). "China criminalizes the slander of its 'heroes and martyrs,' as it seeks to control history". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
- ^ Costigan, Johanna M. (September 23, 2022). "China's War on History Is Growing". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 2022-09-28. Retrieved 2022-09-28.