Was Fairbank criticized for being too focused on the West?
Some have suggested my focus was too heavily on the impact of the West on China, perhaps implying a degree of Western-centricity. My intention, however, was to understand China's modern transformation through its interaction with global forces, primarily Western powers. This interaction was indeed a defining characteristic of modern Chinese history. My work aimed to illuminate how China, as a distinct civilization, absorbed, resisted, and ultimately transformed itself in the face of these external pressures.
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