History & Area Studies / Chinese History / Modern China (1840-1949)

China’s political transformation in the 20th century against the backdrop of the competition between

Yang Tianshi, Huang Kewu, Wang Qisheng

This text records a modern history lecture held at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, featuring a dialogue between historians Yang Tianshi, Huang Kewu, and Wang Qisheng. It provides an in-depth analysis of China’s political transformation in the 20th century against the backdrop of the competition between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Communist Party of China (CPC). The core of the text lies in exploring how the KMT degenerated from the social reformism advocated by Sun Yat-sen into conservatism, and contrasts this with the great social revolution implemented by the CPC, explaining the inherent logic of the regime change. The scholars further discuss the historical legacy of the "Third Way" in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and reflect on the profound impact of radical ideological trends on the fate of modern Chinese intellectuals and social structures. By reviewing the game between reform and revolution, the full text aims to provide a macro-historical perspective for understanding the evolution of contemporary China and cross-strait relations.