Lecture: China’s Burma Road: Wartime Connectivity and Regionalism in China’s Southwest (1937-45)

Dr Andres Rodrigues, Senior Lecturer in Modern Chinese History from the University of Sydney, will be delivering a lecture titled, 'China’s Burma Road: Wartime Connectivity and Regionalism in China’s Southwest (1937-45)'. The details for the lecture are as follows:

Date: 24 October 2024 (Thursday)
Time: 16:00–18:00
Venue: Hörsaal 1098 (KG I)

All are welcome!

Abstract

China’s War of Resistance (1937-45) brought radical shifts of territorial power across its hinterland regions. Facing Japan’s invasion in 1937, military and civilian resources made their way into China’s southwest provinces setting up what became known as the ‘Great Rear Base’ (dahoufang). For China’s wartime planners, the construction of new forms of connectivity held the key to building this bulwark of resistance. The development of new roads and air links envisaged by engineers was not only essential to sustain the wartime effort. It would also play a major factor in creating new understandings of geography for these regional actors as it redefined their relationship both within China and with the world. This paper focuses on the case of China’s Burma Road (1938-1942), which in its initial stages acted as a conduit of resources between Lashio (British Burma) and Kunming (Yunnan Province). It will examine how the development of China’s so-called ‘lifeline’ led to the creation of new ideas of regional identity that positioned China’s southwest as a vital hub connecting the nation with Southeast Asia, India, and the world. 

About the Speaker

Andres Rodriguez is Senior Lecturer in Modern Chinese history at the University of Sydney. He is the author of Frontier Fieldwork. Building a Nation in China’s Borderlands, 1919-1945 (University of British Columbia Press 2022) and other works that deal with the history of ethnic minorities, nationalism, and the impact of World War Two in China’s Republican Period (1912-1949). His current project examines China’s role in the construction of the ‘Burma Road’ during World War Two and how it led to new forms of connectivity between China, southeast Asia, and the world. He is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Global History until the end of the year.