Central Europe Yearbook

Lessons from Austria-Hungary: Kang Youwei’s Vision for China’s Reform in the Early 20th Century

Nicholas Tsui

Abstract

This paper examines a Chinese Intellectual, Kang Youwei's (1858-1927) perspective on the Austro-Hungarian Empire during his visit in the early 20th century, emphasizing the relevance to Kang's proposal to China's modernization. Kang Youwei, a key reformer in the late Qing dynasty (1644–1911), visited Austria-Hungary during his exile. This paper analyzes articles written by Kang and shows his opinion on Austrian politics, economy, religion, and ethnic diversity, while contrasting them with China's challenges. He was criticle on Austria-Hungary, regarding political chaos, linguistic diversity, and ties between the Catholic Church and governance, which he seen as a reason for Austria-Hungary's weakness. Kang highlighted the Empire's reliance on Emperor Franz Joseph(1830-1916) and expressed the potential collapse of the Empire. Kang argued that China should remain unification, reject excessive political party formation, and maintain cultural traditions.