ABSTRACT
WHILE “NEW CULTURE” AND ENLIGHTENMENT WERE PRESENTED AS necessary precursors to saving the Chinese nation, other, more obvious elements threatened the stability of the country. China's intellectuals saw foreign aggression, as displayed by both Japan and the West, as one of their most pressing concerns. In fact, the focal point of the movement, the May Fourth Incident, began as a demonstration against Japanese territorial aggression. This anti-aggression, anti-imperialist emphasis continued throughout the New Culture Era, both in China and in Singapore.
