Chris Chung

Biography

I am generally interested in how late imperial and modern Chinese notions of territory, history, identity, and the nation intersect and develop in the South China Sea islands dispute. The archipelagos involved are the Pratas, Paracel, and Spratly Islands, as well as Macclesfield Bank. Specifically, my dissertation examines Chinese conceptions of sovereignty in maritime frontiers as they relate to the disputed South China Sea islands, and how and why these ideas have changed over time, from the Qing dynasty (1644-1912) to the present. I am generally interested in how late imperial and modern Chinese notions of territory, history, identity, and the nation intersect and develop in the South China Sea islands dispute. The archipelagos involved are the Pratas, Paracel, and Spratly Islands, as well as Macclesfield Bank. Specifically, my dissertation examines Chinese conceptions of sovereignty in maritime frontiers as they relate to the disputed South China Sea islands, and how and why these ideas have changed over time, from the Qing dynasty (1644-1912) to the present.

Research Interest

History