Modernizing propaganda in Republican China under a foreign gaze

ABSTRACT

During China’s Republican era (1912–1949), the Kuomintang (KMT) Nationalists experimented with propaganda in theory and practice as its propaganda moved from a traditionally preaching oriented mass culture to modern mass-media-based weaponry deemed as ‘paper bullets.’ Contrary to the commonly overstated role and influence of the Soviet Union and its theorists during this transition from a utilitarian to an aggressive, weaponized model of propaganda, this essay, drawing insights from articles in the foreign press of Republican China, illuminates the complexity and intricacy of this experimental phase. The period is characterized by continuity, ruptures, hybridization, and innovation, providing a nuanced, multifaceted understanding of KMT propaganda. Aligned with the existing non-Soviet perspective on KMT propaganda, emphasizing the integration of cultural, folk, or modern elements into the propaganda arsenal, this study enhances it by providing a more comprehensive outlook.

KEYWORDS:

• Propaganda
• foreign press
• Republican China
• Kuomintang propaganda
• Xuanchuan

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Chunfeng Lin

Chunfeng Lin, PhD (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), is an associate professor of journalism at East China Normal University. His research interests lie at the intersection of propaganda studies and critical/cultural studies. In his latest book, Red Tourism in China (2023, Routledge), he explores the relationship between Red Tourism and the shifting power dynamics between the state and the private sector. His research has been published in journals including Journalism Practice, Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, and the Asian Journal of Communication, among others.