ABSTRACT
‘Global rise’ has become a buzzword in the early twenty- first century and many people immediately think of China in this context: both outside China, and also within. In fact, Chinese and foreigners alike assume China is already in the midst of a ‘global rise’ and the only question is how to deal with it. Western attitudes waver between pragmatic approaches of accommodation and at times cautious encouragement at one end of the spectrum, and fears of a ‘China threat’ on the other. Asian neighbours are concerned about the regional implications and hope, above all, that China’s ‘rise’ will be a peaceful one, which will not lead to imbalances and regional instability. But how do the Chinese themselves see their assumed ‘global rise’? Not surprisingly, the topic is central to the political aspirations of the state which tries to define, manage, and push China’s ‘global rise’ in a way that does not antagonise others (and does not endanger party rule, of course), but it is also dear to the public, pleasing national pride but also inviting reflection on how others managed to ‘rise’ historically (and why China did not do so earlier – or why it lost out in historical competition in spite of one- time greatness). The topic therefore comes up in various guises and formats, and one of the formats that provide a window on Chinese visions of ‘global rise’ is the historical documentary.
