China and the West

Niu, Jingfan. Albert Camus in China [ID D24733].
Niu Jingfan : Albert Camus had to face his late arrival in modern China. For a China that was deeply mired in the domestic conflicts and foreign invasions in the first half of the last century and for the Chinese intellectuals struggling in a time out of joint, Camus's Sisyphus question that explored all the aspects of human existence in an age of peace and his sense of strangerness were too untimely.
There were two modes for the reception of Camus in mainland China. In philosophy, he was cited as a representative of existentialism and was introduced to the Chinese academia soon after Sartre. In literature, Camus as a Nobel Prize winner as well as a representative of absurdism, started to be widely admired by Chinese writers and scholars.
While the studies of Camus's philosophy and aesthetics is advancing in university education and research, a question that remains to be answered is whether his style and temperament have extended their substantial influence to contemporary Chinese literature. For this, no satisfactory answer seems to habe been found. Most of the writers, who are overhaunted by their motives of patricide in their writing or anxiety of influence, are unwilling to clarify the sources of their literary works. The ambiguity itself is understandable since authors always find themselves indebted to varied origins.
All in all, any influence or reception should be embodied by individual experiences. To influence someone is to inspire and stimulate him or her. Whether we have received Camus's existentialist philosophy and his rebellious spirit depends on our own action. In addition, there are two types of influence : explicit or implicit. Sometimes, we are unconsciously influenced and on some peculiar occasions, someone's words or their actions may suddenly flash into our mind and lead us to a vital decision. Choice and freedom, love and commitment, absurdity and struggle, existence and dignity – all are the universal Camusian questions that reflect upon the essence of life, and the paradoxes of existence that challenge people of different nations and generations. Therefore, it can be assumed that Camus will continue to gain his new vitality in the Chinese context.
The Sars crisis in 2003 reminded the masses of La peste and gave them a new opportunity to reread it and to re-understand the author. Shocked by what had insightfully been foretold in this fable, Chinese readers identified their affinity with Camus. Over the pas few years, search engines, personal blogs and online forums have gained increasing popularity with regard to the shared reading of the author and diversified our receptions of him. Although there is no exact estimation of his influence on our contemporary culture and our spiritual world, what can be affirmed is that he has participated in the construction of contemporary Chinese literature and continues to influence us. In one word, his journey in our country is still going on. His Chinese journey is still an ongoing process.