China's National Image In Mongolia

This study examines China's national image in Mongolia based on an analysis of Mongolian history textbooks.In doing so,the researcher analyzes the content of six history textbooks currently used in Mongolian secondary school,where the topic about China was included.History education plays an important role in shaping national identity.Because national identity is based on a specific historical narrative.In fact,Mongolia and China have accumulated lots of positive and negative experiences as neighboring countries for centuries.Following this,there are different perceptions and attitudes toward China among Mongolians based on their first-hand or second hand learning experience.At some time,Mongolian political leaders have manipulated public opinions for a variety of reasons.During the 20 th century,anti-Chinese attitude has spread twice in Mongolia.First,at the beginning of 1900 s this attitude stemmed from China's repeated attempts to conquer Mongolia and it was a real threat to Mongolian independence.Second,from the 1960 s to the late 1980 s,Mongolian political leaders deliberately disseminated negative image about China with strong Soviet support.Then since middle of the first decade of 2000,visible changes emerged in the approaches of Mongolian political leaders and they started to develop bilateral relations in all areas and declared a strategic partnership with China.Today,there is no unresolved or controversial political issue between two countries,and they are cooperating successfully in all areas.Moreover,in this study the internal and external factors influencing the formation of China's image in Mongolia and how they affect it are examined.