China and the West

Jane Austen in China : general
Zhang Helong : Jane Austen was first mentioned in China 1917 by Wei Yi. In 1911 Austen's novels only concentrated on so called 'daily triviality', which was of no interest to the Chinese intellectuals. Translators and scholars paid no attention to her and failed to recognize the particular significance of her work. In the 1930s Jane Austen's name began to appear as an important novelist in some academic books. In the 1980s, almost everyone in China began to view Austen as a major classic novelist. In the 1990s about one hundred essays were devoted to the study of Austen. She now usually occupies and exclusive chapter in almost every English literary history published in China.
Zhu Hong : Austen was never mentioned in the past in China without being regarded as one who described a narrow life and trivial affairs but turned a blind eye to the English War against Napoleon. It's no wonder that she's been dwarfed by many first-class writers in Western countries. For a long time in our country, Austen has remained in the background under a severe look of disapproval, and failed to land a position among those Western classic works that have been pinned down for translation and publication in China. When the Gang of four came into power during the Cultural Revolution, her name was simply deleted from the history of English literature.