Sinophile
A Sinophile or Sinophilia is a term to describe a person who demonstrates a strong admiration, appreciation and interest for Chinese culture, Chinese language, Chinese history, or Chinese people.[1][2] It is also commonly used to describe those knowledgeable of Chinese history and culture (such as scholars and students, which is referred to as Sinology), non-native Chinese language speakers, pro-Chinese politicians, and people perceived as having a strong interest in any of the above.
Typical interests
The overall study of Chinese culture is referred to as Sinology. This could include Chinese fashion styles like Traditional cultural Han Chinese clothing (Hanfu), and Manchu-influenced Chinese clothing (qipao). Another area of Chinese culture is cuisine and liquor, such as Chinese wine culture and baijiu. Medicine, architecture, characters, language (and varieties such as Mandarin, Cantonese or Hokkien), are also areas of interest for Sinophiles.
They also tend to be drawn towards Chinese astrology and horoscopes, as well as Feng Shui and Kung Fu. The history of China and folk religions like Daoism, Chan Buddhism, and Confucianism are also topics of Sinology, as well as the Politics of China, the Chinese Communist Party, socialism with Chinese characteristics, Maoism, Dengism, Three Principles of the People, one country, two systems, as well as the Mass Line. Chinese artwork is a topic of interest for many Sinophiles due to its vast history. The Chinese arts, encompass poetry, literature, music, calligraphy and cinema, as well as Chinese traditional forms of theatrical entertainment such as xiangsheng and operas.
Sinophiles
Albania
- Enver Hoxha, leader of the communist Albanian Party of Labor; considered the People's Republic of China to be Albania's primary ally
Austria
- Michael Prochazka, Austrian sinologist
France
- Voltaire, French philosopher
- François Quesnay, French economist
- Guillaume Jacques, French sinologist
- Michel Soymié, French sinologist
Germany
- Adam Schall von Bell (湯若望), German Jesuit and astronomer; spent most of his life as a missionary in China and became an adviser to the Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing dynasty
- Martin Heidegger, attempted to translate the Dao De Jing with Paul Hsiao; may have been more deeply influenced by Daoist thought
- Britta Heidemann, German Olympic champion fencer, studied Asia studies and is fluent in Chinese
- Berthold Laufer, German sinologist
- Gottfried Leibniz, German polymath who was fascinated with Confucius and the I Ching[3]
- John Rabe, German Nazi Party member who saved thousands of Chinese civilians during the Second Sino-Japanese War
- Hans von Seeckt, German military officer who served as one of Chiang Kai-shek's military advisers during the Chinese Civil War
- Helmut Schmidt, former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany; numerous visits to China both officially and in private, wrote several books about China; befriended former Premier of the PRC Zhu Rongji and ethnic-Chinese Singaporean leader Lee Kuan Yew
- Richard Wilhelm, German sinologist who was known for translating the I Ching, The Secret of the Golden Flower, and other ancient Chinese works
- Gerhard Schröder, former Chancellor of Germany; visited China six times, was the first Western politician to travel to Beijing and apologize after NATO jets had bombed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in 1999 and also pressed for the lifting of the EU arms embargo on China
Ireland
- Des Bishop, Irish-American comedian; spent a year in China learning Chinese and performing comedy in both Chinese and English
- Sean Hurley, Irish sinologist who worked with the British Customs Service in Shanghai
Italy
- Marco Polo (t馬可·波羅 s马可·波罗), Venetian merchant and traveler; wrote about his travels in Yuan China; became an imperial official
- Matteo Ricci (t利瑪竇 s利玛窦), Jesuit priest who spent decades in the imperial court of the Ming
- Bernardo Bertolucci, Italian director known for directing the film The Last Emperor which tells the story of the last Emperor of China, Puyi
Netherlands
- J.J.L. Duyvendak, Dutch sinologist
- J. J. M. de Groot, Dutch sinologist
- Robert van Gulik, Dutch sinologist
- Hans van de Ven, Dutch sinologist
Norway
- Johan Galtung, mathematician, sociologist, and the founder of the discipline of peace and conflict studies, who praised Chinese rewriting of concepts of an "open society" and "democracy" as well as China's flexibility with diplomacy
- Henry Henne, Norwegian sinologist
Russia
- Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer widely considered one of the world's greatest novelists[4]
- Dmitri Mendeleev, Russian chemist and inventor[4]
- Faina Chiang Fang-liang, former First Lady of the Republic of China and wife of Chiang Ching-kuo
- Vladimir Putin, Russian president
- Israel Epstein, Jewish journalist born in Warsaw (then under control of the Russian Empire) and member of the Communist Party of China.
- Yevgeny Kychanov, Russian sinologist
Serbia
- Aleksandar Vučić, Serbian president
Spain
- Juan Antonio Samaranch, Spanish sports administrator. Has a memorial dedicated to him in Tianjin.
- Juan González de Mendoza, Spanish sinologist
Sweden
- Johan Gunnar Andersson, sinologist
- Bernhard Karlgren (t高本漢 s高本汉), sinologist
Switzerland
- Liam Bates, performer, television host and adventurer
- Léopold de Saussure, Swiss sinologist
- Gabriele Gaggini (Chinese: 刘家俊), medicine, biomedical science student at Fribourg University, from Lugano, Ticino
United Kingdom
- Sir David Akers-Jones (t鍾逸傑爵士 s钟逸杰爵士), former administrator of Hong Kong and advisor to the Chinese government
- Derek Bryan, British diplomat and sinologist
- Aurora Carlson, British television presenter
- Herbert Giles, British diplomat and sinologist
- Reginald Johnston, British diplomat who served as Commissioner of Weihaiwei and personal tutor to Puyi, the last Emperor of China
- Eric Liddell, Scottish rugby player; Olympic track and field athlete; missionary
- Robert Morrison (t馬禮遜/摩理臣), Scottish missionary
- Joseph Needham (t李約瑟 s李约瑟), British biochemist best known for his works on the history of Chinese science[5]
- Daniel Newham, British performer working in China
- Andrew West (魏安), British sinologist and software developer
- Stephen Wootton Bushell, British sinologist
Japan
- Konoe Atsumaro, Japanese politician, noble. Father of Konoe Fumimaro[6]
- Date Junnosuke, Japanese noble, descendant of Date Masamune, Chinese warlord during 1930s-1940s. Naturalized as a Chinese.
- Naitō Torajirō, Japanese Historian and Sinologist, A leading historian in the history of East Asia and Ancient China
- Sanzō Nosaka, Japanese politician and one of the founding members of the Japanese Communist Party.
- Hayao Miyazaki, Japanese animator from Studio Ghibli known for films such as Spirited Away
- Banri Kaieda, Japanese politician, also a Classical Chinese poet.
- Yu Suzuki, Creator of the Shenmue (莎木) games.
- Inukai Tsuyoshi, Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan, Pan-asianist who supported the Chinese revolutionaries during the Xinhai Revolution and lent support to Sun Yat-sen. Had a deep respect for Chinese culture. Assassinated in the May 15 Incident
Korea
- Jang Song-taek,[7] executed uncle of Kim Jong-un
- Kim Jong-nam,[7] assassinated half-brother of Kim Jong-un
Mongolia
- Zanabazar, Mongolian sculptor and religious figure who negotiated the Khalkha submission to the Qing, and was the spiritual mentor for the Kangxi Emperor
Tibet region, China
- Songsten Gampo, Tibetan king who was married to the Chinese Princess Wencheng, which brought peace between Tang China and Tibet.
- Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, Tibetan senior official who served as a Lieutenant General of the People's Liberation Army
- Thubten Choekyi Nyima, 9th Panchen Lama of Tibet
Canada
- Dr. Norman Bethune (白求恩), Canadian physician and surgeon who trained the medics of the Eighth Route Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
- Morris Cohen, Jewish-Canadian soldier and adventurer; aide-de-camp to the Chinese leader Sun Yat-sen
- Joshua A. Fogel, Canadian and American sinologist who specialises in modern Chinese history.
- Mark Roswell (大山), Ottawa native; currently a CCTV personality and celebrity in China
- Jean Chrétien, Canadian politician and the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. Was known to be a Sinophile and an admirer of the People's Republic of China.
United States
- Pearl S. Buck (t賽珍珠 s赛珍珠), writer and novelist
- Anson Burlingame, lawyer, legislator and diplomat; appointed in 1861 to be the United States minister in China
- Stephon Marbury, star basketball player who has expressed affinity for the country.[8][9]
- LeBron James, NBA player for Los Angeles Lakers who was accused of making a pro-Chinese statement by criticizing GM Daryl Morey's comments on Hong Kong[10]
- James Harden, NBA player for Houston Rockets. He apologized when Rockets' GM Daryl Morey voiced support for Hong Kong and he said that he loves China
- Ai Hua, television personality, frequent guest on programs on China Central Television
- Henry Kissinger, former secretary of state, frequently visit China since 1970s
- R. L. Kuhn, corporate strategist, investment banker, and intellectual; situated in the pro-China segment of the intellectual community; closely knows many Chinese political leaders
- Owen Lattimore, author, educator, and scholar; served as an adviser, but later a critic, of Chiang Kai-shek, and a proponent to what some consider a precursor of China's cultural and legislative autonomy policies with autonomous regions in the People's Republic of China
- Homer Lea, military advisory and general in the army of Sun Yat-sen during the Boxer Rebellion
- Huey Newton, social activist who was deeply influenced by Maoism and described his time in China as a "psychological liberation", praising Chinese contemporary society throughout his works
- Paul Robeson, baritone singer; film and stage actor; peace and civil rights activist; All-American football athlete; was fluent in Chinese, and compared the struggle of the Chinese to that of the black people in the United States
- John S. Service, diplomat and "China Hand"; born in Chengdu; was persecuted by McCarthyism due to his pro-China views, which also included sympathies with Chinese socialism[11]
- Cordwainer Smith, godson of Sun Yat-sen
- Anna Louise Strong, journalist and peace activist who lived in China
- Wu-Tang Clan, rap group from New York; their songs contain many Chinese cultural themes
Australia
- Colin Mackerras, Australian sinologist and expert in the fields of Peking opera and Chinese national minorities
- Edwin Maher, New Zealand-born Australian journalist who appeared as a news reader for CCTV-9 following a long career on Australian TV. He retired in 2017.[12]
- Kevin Rudd, the 26th Prime Minister of Australia (2007–2010, 2013); majored in Chinese language and history
- Jim Bacon, 41st Premier of Tasmania; a frequent visitor of China and was awarded an honorary citizenship of China
- Shaoquett Moselmane, a member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales; was suspended from the Labor Party for alleged links to the Communist Party of China by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.[13][14]
New Zealand
- Rewi Alley, political activist from New Zealand who was a member of the Communist Party of China
Brazil
- Pepe Escobar, roving correspondent for the Asia Times; covers US foreign policy, Latin American, Middle Eastern, Asian, and especially Chinese affairs
- Paulo Freire, Brazilian Marxist educator and philosopher; praised progressive aspects in Chinese education during the Cultural Revolution
Ecuador
- Rafael Correa, Ecuadorian President and economist whose foreign policies include socioeconomic cooperation with the People's Republic of China with regards to finance and industry, trade and resource development of oil and hydroelectricity, and infrastructure
India
- Dwarkanath Kotnis, Indian doctor dispatched to China during the Second Sino-Japanese War[15]
- Yukteshwar Kumar, Indian sinologist
Pakistan
- Imran Khan Niazi, Prime minister of Pakistan[16][17][18]
Cambodia
- Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodian king who sought refuge in China
Philippines
Thailand
- Sirindhorn, Thai princess who studied Chinese
Vietnam
- Gia Long, Emperor of Vietnam
- Minh Mạng, Emperor of Vietnam
- Hoàng Văn Hoan, Vietnamese politician from the Communist Party of Vietnam. Defected to China during the Sino-Vietnamese War.
Turkey
- 'Ali Akbar Khata'i, Turkish traveller and writer who travelled to China
- Ekrem İmamoğlu, the current mayor of Istanbul, promotes good relations between China and Turkey[21]
Zimbabwe
- Robert Mugabe, former Zimbabwean president
- Emmerson Mnangagwa, current Zimbabwean president, admirer of Deng Xiaoping's economic policies
See also
- List of sinologists
- Asiaphile
- Japanophile
- Francophile
- Russophile
- Indophile
- Anglophile
- Germanophile
- Graecophile
- Sinophobia, a term on the opposite spectrum
References
- "Sino-, comb. form1". OED Online. Oxford University Press. June 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- "Definition of 'Sinophile'". Collins Dictionary. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
- Liukkonen, Petri. "Sinophile". Books and Writers (kirjasto.sci.fi). Finland: Kuusankoski Public Library. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014.
- Alexander Lukin (2003). The Bear Watches the Dragon: Russia's Perceptions of China and the Evolution of Russian-Chinese Relations Since the Eighteenth Century. M.E. Sharpe. pp. 314–. ISBN 978-0-7656-1026-3.
- Winchester, Simon. (2008). The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom.. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-088459-8
- Wang, Xiaoqiu, ed. (2000). 戊戌维新与近代中国的改革: 戊戌维新一百周年国际学朮讨论会论文集. 社会科学文献出版社. p. 321. ISBN 9787801492289.
- Beech, Hannah (23 February 2017). "China's North Korea Problem". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- "Marbury madness rivals Linsanity in China". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- Stephon Marbury discusses retiring and why he loves China, retrieved 21 December 2019
- "LeBron James says he 'didn't see' Hong Kong reaction, reflected his own feelings". USA Today. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- Borg, Dorothy; Heinrichs, Waldo H.; Heinrichs, Waldo (1980). Uncertain Years: Chinese-American Relations, 1947-1950. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-04738-8.
- Yang, Wanli (30 September 2017). "Edwin Maher: Former CCTV anchor sees clear skies ahead". China Daily.
- "NSW Labor MP's home, office raided over allegations of infiltration by Chinese agents". www.abc.net.au. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- "NSW Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane says he is 'not a suspect' in AFP espionage investigation". ABC News Australia. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- "Why is India's Dr Kotnis revered in China?". BBC News. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- "Imran Khan's China Model". Daily Times. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- Editorial (10 October 2019). "The Chinese model". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- "Pakistani PM praises China's achievement in poverty alleviation - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- Raul Dancel (10 May 2017). "The 3-way link-up that just keeps on giving for Duterte". The Straits Times. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- Placido, Dharel (1 February 2019). "Duterte spokesperson labeled China puppet". ABS-CBN News.
- "Ekrem İmamoğlu'na Çin Başkonsolosundan ziyaret". www.cumhuriyet.com.tr. Retrieved 18 August 2019.