Abstract

Wang Hui is an author that "Equilibri" readers have already met. The self interview published in this issue has been translated from Chinese and it contains Huiís thoughts on the famous volume "The Rise of Modern Chinese Thought" that was published a few years ago. It provides the opportunity to define his line of thought and contains indirect answers to some of his critics. What is China? An empire or a nation-state? Is it a "civilization" whose "universal values" have kept together different ethnic groups, regardless of geographic boundaries, or is it a political-administra tive apparatus controlling an immense territory? How many Chinas are there? These are some of the issues raised by Wang Hui. His answer is based on a historical analysis founded on traditional Chinese thought.