China Sends its Youth Abroad (1870–1926)

This book, as the first Chinese monograph on China's overseas study history published in 1927, draws on rich historical sources to explore a pivotal 1870 turning point: Imperial China's break with centuries of tradition to send promising young students to America, Europe and Japan, a last-ditch effort to catch up with the modern world. Authored by Shu Xincheng (1893-1960), this work carries an ambivalence that endures today: it recognizes the policy's revolutionary role in China's social progress and modernization, yet warns that entrusting Chinese youth's minds to foreign powers endangered their cultural identity. He argues overseas study should serve a strict purpose—acquiring advanced knowledge and technology to fuel China's pursuit of catching up with industrialized nations. Beyond documenting this historical initiative, the book illuminates a long-standing dilemma for China: balancing the quest for global knowledge with preserving national and cultural identity, a tension dating to Imperial times. This English translation offers scholars and graduate students valuable insights into the developmental route and underlying logic of China's historical "rejuvenation."