Newspeak and Newthink: China's "Rejuvenation" of Its Memory

By Volker Stanzel

This book investigates how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) constructs and deploys a powerful politics of memory - reshaping historical narratives, redefining national identity, and reinforcing its political legitimacy. Through patriotic education, curated exhibitions, school textbooks, TV documentaries, and films, the state crafts a selective view of the past to support its vision of national "rejuvenation" and global resurgence.

The book traces this dynamic from ancient Confucian historiography to the disruptions of Western imperialism, the Communist Revolution, and the post-Tiananmen era. It examines how memory is produced, taught, and ritualised in contemporary China, drawing on cultural memory theory and a rich array of real-world examples. Special focus is placed on how official narratives are framed in institutions like museums, classrooms, and public commemorations.

By offering a clear and accessible exploration of China's evolving relationship with its past, Newspeak and Newthink provides crucial insight into the ideological foundations of the CCP's domestic and international strategies. It is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how historical imagination becomes an instrument in shaping one of the world's most influential powers.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9819821657
• ISBN13: 9789819821655
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company
• Length: 187 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"