Sinophile

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, a 17th–18th century German polymath who made significant contributions in many areas of physics, logic, history, librarianship, and studied numerous aspects of Chinese culture

A Sinophile (from sino- meaning "Chinese" [originating through Persian and Sanskrit from Late Latin Sinæ] and -philos meaning "loving" [from Greek ϕίλος])^[1] is a person who demonstrates a strong interest and love for Chinese culture or its people.^[2] It is also commonly used to describe those knowledgeable of Chinese history and culture (such as scholars and students), non-native Chinese language speakers, pro-Chinese politicians, and people perceived as having a strong interest in any of the above.

Typical interests of Sinophiles

• Chinese cuisine
• Chinese languages (typically Mandarin or Cantonese)
• Chinese calligraphy and artwork
• Chinese astrology or horoscopes
• Ancient art of feng shui – Daoism
• Chan Buddhism
• Chinese philosophy – Confucianism
• Martial arts, such as variants of Kung fu
• Politics of China, the Communist Party of China, socialism with Chinese characteristics, Maoism, Dengism, one country, two systems, the Mass Line, politics of Taiwan
• Traditional cultural Han Chinese clothing Hanfu and Manchu-influenced Chinese clothing Qipao
• Chinese tea culture
• Chinese wine culture and baijiu
• The Chinese arts, encompassing Chinese poetry, Chinese literature, Chinese music, and Chinese cinema as well as Chinese traditional forms of theatrical entertainment such as crosstalk and operas

Sinophiles

Albania

• Enver Hoxha, leader of the communist Albanian Party of Labor who considered the People's Republic of China to be Albania's primary ally.

Australia

• Kevin Rudd, the 26th Prime Minister of Australia (2007 – 2010, 2013) who majored in Chinese language and history.

Canada

• Morris Cohen – was a Jewish-Canadian soldier and adventurer who became aide-de-camp to the Chinese leader Sun Yat-sen.
• Mark Roswell (大山) – Ottawa native currently a CCTV personality and celebrity in China.
• Dr. Norman Bethune – A famous medic.

Ecuador

• Rafael Correa, Ecuadorian President and economist whose foreign policies include socioeconomic cooperation with the People's Republic of China with regards to finance and industry, trade and resource development of both oil and hydroelectricity, and infrastructure.

Germany

• Gottfried Leibniz, German polymath who was fascinated with Confucius and I Ching.^[3]
• John Rabe, German Nazi party member who saved thousands of Chinese civilians during the Second Sino-Japanese war.
• Max Bauer, a military adviser and commander within Chiang Kai-Shek's Kuomintang administration. He is buried in China.
• Alexander von Falkenhausen, another military adviser and personal friend to Chiang Kai-Shek.
• Martin Heidegger, attempted to translate the Dao De Jing with Paul Hsiao, may have been more deeply influenced by Daoist thought

Italy

• Marco Polo (馬可·波羅), Venetian merchant and traveler; wrote about his travels in Yuan China and became an imperial official.
• Matteo Ricci (利瑪竇 or 利玛窦), Jesuit priest who spent decades in the imperial court of the Ming.

Libya

• Muammar Gaddafi, a Libyan revolutionary and politician who emulated some key aspects of Chairman Mao Zedong, as well as borrowing some of his ideology, such as that of Three Worlds Theory. Under his rule, Libya continued to have positive relations with China up to 2011 which marked the end of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

Russia

• Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer widely considered one of the world's greatest novelists.^[4]
• Dmitri Mendeleev, Russian chemist and inventor.^[5]

Sweden

• Johan Gunnar Andersson, sinologist.
• Bernhard Karlgren, sinologist.

Switzerland

• Liam Bates, performer, television host and adventurer.

United Kingdom

• Aurora Carlson
• Daniel Newham
• Eric Liddell, a Scottish rugby player, Olympic track and field athlete, and missionary
• Joseph Needham (李約瑟), a British biochemist best known for his works on the history of Chinese science^[6]
• Derek Bryan
• Reginald Johnston
• Herbert Giles
• David Wilson, Baron Wilson of Tillyorn (衛奕信/魏德巍), British diplomat and former Governor of Hong Kong
• Robert Morrison (馬禮遜/摩理臣), Scottish missionary
• Sir Cecil Clementi (金文泰), British colonial administrator and former Governor of Hong Kong
• Sir John Francis Davis (戴維斯/爹核士), Sinologist, diplomat and former Governor of Hong Kong
• Sir Edward Youde (尤德), diplomat, Sinologist and former Governor of Hong Kong
• Sir David Akers-Jones (鍾逸傑爵士), former administrator of Hong Kong and advisor to the Chinese government

United States

• Pearl S. Buck ( 賽珍珠 or 赛珍珠), American writer and novelist.
• Andrew Zimmern, an American television personality, chef, and adventure traveler
• Ai Hua, an American television personality and a frequent guest on programs on China Central Television.
• Anna Louise Strong, an American journalist and peace activist who lived in China
• Anson Burlingame, American lawyer, legislator and diplomat who was appointed in 1861 to be the United States minister in China.
• Edgar Snow, an American journalist who was among the first Westerners to interview Mao Zedong and report on the Long March
• Jerome A. Cohen, a professor of law at New York University School of Law, expert in Chinese law and advisor to Republic of China President Ma Ying-jiu.
• Homer Lea, was military advisory and general in the army of Sun Yat-sen during Boxer Rebellion
• Cordwainer Smith, Godson of Sun Yat-sen.
• Chloe Bennet, actress and singer
• Paul Robeson, an American baritone singer, actor of film and stage, peace and civil rights activist, and All-American football athlete who temporarily resided in China, was fluent in Chinese, and compared the struggle of the Chinese to Black people in the United States.
• Quentin Tarantino, American director, fan of martial arts films, and the Shaw Brothers films in particular
• Wallace Stevens, one of the most influential poets of the 20th century.
• Wu-Tang Clan, a rap group from New York. There are many Chinese cultural themes within their songs.
• Huey Newton, an African-American social activist who was deeply influenced by Maoism and described his time in China as a "psychological liberation" praising Chinese contemporary society throughout his works.
• Ezra Pound, an American poet who integrated many aspects of Chinese poetry into his writing, and especially advocated for Confucianism.^[7][8]

See also

• Asiaphile

References