A HISTORY ALWAYS PRESENT : THIRTY YEARS OF CHINESE RESEARCH ON THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Although the political culture born of the French Revolution has influenced Chinese history since the end of the Qing Dynasty, it was not until after 1979 that studies on the history of France and the Revolution gained momentum. Over the past three decades (1989-2019), the rise of neo-conservatism in mainland China has directly impacted research, not only reducing scholars' enthusiasm for the Revolution, but also changing their priorities. This shift reflects the thinking of intellectuals in this period about the problems encountered during China's economic transformation. Today's work on the French Revolution, though it attempts to incorporate contemporary theories and methodologies, is still firmly in the service of politics.