Colonialism is a term attributed to China more often when discussing international affairs. Historically, China suffered from western colonialism for a lengthy period that left significant marks on the country economically, socially and culturally. Currently, as the geopolitical power balance has made a shift from the west towards the east, China has become an important actor globally. The country’s policies, such as the Belt and Road Initiative including its investments in key positions of infrastructure worldwide and especially in the global south raise a new set of questions: has China built a web of political dependencies through its economic investments? Could and should China’s policies be described as colonialism, and are they any different compared to western colonial activities? How should we relate and respond to China’s expansionist efforts?
The seminar is organized by Historians Without Borders (HWB) and FIIA.
Programme:
Introducing Historians without Borders and the event’s theme
Dr Erkki Tuomioja
Deconstructing “Chinese neocolonialism”: attitudes and actualities
Li Xing, Professor, Aalborg University
China’s neo-colonial presence in Europe? Reflecting from Europe’s Eastern Periphery
Dušica Ristivojević, Visiting Scholar, University of Helsinki and Research Fellow, Central European Institute of Asian Studies
Introduction to the panel discussion
Julie Yu-wen Chen, Professor, University of Helsinki
Panel discussion
Chair
Jyrki Kallio, Senior Research Fellow, FIIA
