In this episode, Emily Matson and I will be delving deep into the subtle yet monumental change that was made to the Chinese official curriculum a few years ago. In 2017, the government announced that the official start date for the War of Resistance Against Japan should be change from 1937 to 1931 in all textbooks. This not only goes against previous Chinese historical beliefs, but also the internationally recognised start date for the conflict. Emily and I discuss how and why this change may have come about (we have no definitive answers, only theories unfortunately) as well as the implications of this change for Chinese political, social, and cultural future. We also go off on a tangent about the purpose of history education and give some advice as to how to avoid ideological heritage and get properly informed on topics that interest you!

Emily Matson is a PhD student in the Corcoran History Department, University of Virginia. Her focus is on modern East Asian history, and her areas of interest include Sino-Japanese relations, China's national identity, and Chinese patriotic education.

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